You Need a Budget cover art

You Need a Budget

The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle, Getting out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want

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You Need a Budget

By: Jesse Mecham
Narrated by: Jesse Mecham
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About this listen

Wall Street Journal Bestseller

“Jesse Mecham has achieved the impossible: a book on budgeting that is fascinating, entertaining, and practical. Read this book, follow his advice, then watch your bank account grow and your financial worries fade.” Josh Kaufman, bestselling author of The Personal MBA and The First 20 Hours

Experience a life free of financial stress and transform your relationship to money with this indispensable guide—the first book based on You Need A Budget’s proven method that has helped hundreds of thousands of people break the paycheck to paycheck cycle, get out of debt, and live the life they want to live.

No one should tell you what to do with your money—only you know what’s most important to you. Always guiding you back to your true priorities, Jesse Mecham will fundamentally change the way you think about your money and what it can do for you. His proven method—four, simple rules—will transform money management from a paralyzing burden to a powerful tool, putting you in total control of your life:

  • Give Every Dollar A Job. Be intentional about what you want your money to do before you spend it.
  • Embrace Your True Expenses. Break up larger, less frequent expenses into smaller, more manageable amounts. By saving monthly for insurance premiums, holidays, or car repairs, when the time comes, your money is ready and waiting to do its job.
  • Roll With The Punches. When life changes, so must your budget. Make adjustments and move along. Flexible budgets succeed because they’re guilt-free, realistic, and sustainable.
  • Age Your Money. As you repeat the first three rules, you’ll increase the time between the moment you earn a dollar and the moment you need to spend it. When your money is at least a month old, you’ll have finally broken the paycheck to paycheck cycle for good.

This tried-and-true system has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people by teaching them how to take charge, adjust money habits, eliminate stress, and build the life they want to live. Don’t waste another month counting down the minutes until payday.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Beauty, Grooming & Style Personal Development Personal Finance Money Budgeting Money Management Software Insurance Business Technology Personal Budget

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All stars
Most relevant
Read at the end of the year, sets you up for a positive change in your finances for the new year

Super inspiring and helpful

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This is a superb book. Whether you are looking for a starter book to help you manage your money or whether you are a seasoned budgeter this book will help, inspire and guide you. The best thing about Jesse is he is non-judgemental and down to earth. He knows that everyone if different so he doesn’t give you didactic rules but more principles you can adapt to your unique situation. I would thoroughly recommend. I wish this book had been written (and I had read it!) 10 years ago. Goodness knows what my bank balance would look like now if I had!

Great budgeting book

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I have been listening and watching Jesse on YouTube (whiteboard Wednesdays) and recently the podcasts I did the free trial a couple of years ago and I was sold but when it came time to buy it I didn't press the trigger not until a year later (last October) I live in the UK and I think it is fantastic and you would think that after listening and watching all his other free resources there would be nothing else to learn/gain from the audio book but you would be wrong. I am going to get the book version of this as soon as it is available in the UK for my 15 year old. I am a total budget convert and a YNABer. Thank you Jesse for the tools to get back in control of my money. Keep up the good work.

I love the simplicity of this method

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nothing major was revealed really - one or two good tips... apparently there is a PDF that goes with the book but it's not explained were to get it from - maybe I just missed it...

an easy listen during chores

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YNAB didn't actually 'click' until I got this audible book. Decided to give it one more try. I am finally in control of my money. No, I don't have more money than I did last month, but I feel like I do. I even saved a little to start getting one month ahead.
The main thing that YNAB does for you is that it helps you make choices by visually seeing where all your money is, even if you don't have a lot. The trick is to look at the app (not your bank balance) before making a purchase. So you can make informed decisions before buying another 'widget' or spending more money on the 30th latte that month and then being short on your electric or phone bill. I love it, but it does take a few tries to get the hang of it. Remember give every dollar a job, and keep moving money around the app, that is what it is there for.


A must read to get a hold of your finances.

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