You Need a Budget (YNAB) (pronounced /ˈwaɪnæb/) is a privately owned American company that develops an online
personal budgeting program based on the
envelope system. It is available via any internet browser or a
mobile app. The program was initially developed as standalone software in 2004 by Jesse Mecham, while he was in college pursuing his
master's degree in accounting after an experience where he and his wife had no money and needed to improve their budgeting.[2][3] It evolved from a spreadsheet that he created for the budgeting process.[4] In, 2015, they changed their licensing model to
Software as a service.[5]
Overview
The service encourages users to follow four principles or "rules":
Give every dollar a job: Each dollar in a budget is allocated to a specific purpose.
Embrace true expenses: All expenses are planned for, so that there are no surprises.
Roll with the punches: Being flexible when there is overspending.
Age your money: Keeping money in your budget without immediately spending it.
Users can either import transactions automatically from their financial institutions or input them manually. The software also displays financial reports to keep users informed about their finances at a glance.