The Jesse Mecham Show

On a recent Budget Nerds episode, Jesse threw out a hot take that index investing isn't all it's cracked up to be. Jocelyn wrote into the show to ask... why exactly? Jesse explains himself in today's episode.   Investing Books mentioned in the show: The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by Jack Bogle A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel The Bogleheads Guide to Investing The Four Pi...

As inflation continues to rear it's ugly head in 2022, prices are going up and up, meaning budgets are getting stretched thin. Inflation is essentially another form of scarcity, Jesse points out, albeit involuntary scarcity. Jesse reminds us that scarcity is what drives us to be creative with the budget, and get more clear about our values.   Budgeting is also an active process, so this time of in...

A listener writes into the show to ask: how should you track vacation spending? Vacation is a time to relax and let loose a little, but the listener wants to make sure he is pacing the family's expenses during the trip so he doesn't go overbudget.   Jesse offers a few different options, including sophisticated use of categories to track the vacation spend without creating too much complexity.   Ha...

Kelly Frawley and Emily Pollock are attorneys specializing in matrimonial and family law, and regularly contribute to Forbes on issues related to divorce and business. In today's episode, they discuss the important questions you should be asking before marriage about money, finances, and expectations about the future. And, in the event of divorce, some of the important things you should be doing a...

Struggling with YNAB? That's OK, you're not alone, and Jesse has a few things to look at and make sure you are truly following the Four Rules. And along the way, Jesse has a bone to pick about banks and their data export practices!   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

A first-time house shopper wrote into the show for advice on how to approach the crazy, red hot housing market we are currently in. The writer wants to buy her first home, but is unsure whether she will have enough money to put down as house prices rise at a rapid pace. Jesse reminds us that, most importantly, cash equals options, and it's never a bad thing to have more cash on hand. He advises he...

Jesse shares some case studies from the Mecham household, where he has taught his kids to budget their savings the YNAB way, giving those savings dollars a job. The kicker? Their savings sit in the same checking account as their fun money. With practice and the four rules, however, they have developed the discipline to spend only what they have budgeted for each purpose.   Sign up for a free 34-da...

Jesse welcomes Jason and Katie Hoschouer to the podcast. Together they paid off $78,000 of debt in a mere 28 months, an amazing burst of focused saving and budgeting!   Jason is a retired police officer with 23-years experience in the force, now turned financial coach. He helps other first responders get their budgets in order, pay off debt, and build savings so they don't have to live paycheck to...

Jesse invites the CEO of YNAB, Todd Curtis, to the show to discuss the anatomy of the company, the collaborative philosophy behind the work done by the various teams and functions, and some of the previous work and experiences that have shaped Todd's attitudes about operations and business culture.   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

Nina Clark grew up in a large family tight on money, but with a mother who was very good at budgeting and stretching a dollar. Nevertheless, she wasn't taught anything about money growing up, so she learned her money lessons the hard way: overdrafting her checking account and racking up debt at a young age. Things got more complicated when she went through a divorce and became a single mother. Eve...

It's that time of year again, and April 15th looms! Taxes are due soon, and perhaps no other financial topic generates as much confusion and as many questions. To that end, Jesse answers questions about taxes from YNAB listeners who wrote into the show. As with any tax question, when in doubt it's always best to contact a tax professional!   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedab...

Jesse compares the pros and cons of the 15 year vs the 30 year home mortgage. While there are plenty of online calculators out there that will spell out the difference in interest costs and amortization between the two, Jesse argues that perhaps the math isn't the most important factor. It's how you feel about paying off the mortgage earlier.   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.younee...

International student of mystery Mackenzie is financially wise beyond her years... all thanks to YNAB and embracing the four rules while a young college student. Since discovering YNAB Mackenzie has traveled throughout Europe, and has come up with some unique strategies for managing her budget in a variety of currencies: the British pound, the euro, and US dollars. She's also learned some lessons...

Long-time YNAB team member Erin returns to the podcast to discuss strategies for managing your grocery budget. With prices on the rise, many people are tightening their budgets, and groceries are a common line item of concern. Erin offers tips for making grocery shopping simpler, avoiding unnecessary purchases, and making strategic "fun" food purchases (like frozen pizzas) for those days when you...

In honor of 2/22/2022, which is quickly approaching, YNAB is giving you the chance to gain a little extra momentum in your budget this year. YNAB is giving away $2,222 to a lucky podcast listener! But you have to follow a few rules to have a chance to win: On 2/22/2022, make a public post on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok or Twitter and tell us what you would do with $2,222. Tag YNAB on your social...

Ben and Ernie return to the podcast to announce... their own podcast! Budget Nerds, the popular YouTube show for nerdy YNAB'ers, is launching a podcast on Wednesday, Feb 9th. Now you can take Ben, Ernie, and their nerdy budget adventures with you in the car, on the bus, maybe even in the kitchen!   As a bonus, Ben and Ernie share some "budget confessions" from Budget Nerds listeners.   Budget Nerd...

YNAB Podcast listener Jenna emailed Jesse to share a recent win. Jenna's husband is about to finish law school, and thanks to YNAB and a lot of work and sacrifice he will graduate with NO student loan debt. First of all, BIG congratulations to you and your husband! Jesse shares some thoughts on this achievement as well as how to manage windfalls with a long-term mindset.   Join the More Money Chal...

Jesse answers a listener question about budgeting after retirement, in particular when you are living off your retirement savings and not yet drawing on Social Security.   Join the More Money Challenge: https://www.youneedabudget.com/moremoneychallenge/   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

Jesse chats with Scott Trench, CEO of BiggerPockets and a real estate investor, about how people can get started with real estate investing and build more wealth. Scott started his working career like many business college graduates, working at a large company as a financial analyst. Early on he stumbled across the Mr. Money Mustache blog, which advocates frugality and saving a large percentage of...

Jesse chats with Ashley, of TikTok fame (The Organized Wallet), about her journey finding the budgeting software through a chance blogpost to finally gaining control of her money after years of struggle. One of Ashley's keys to success is mindfulness, and she has some great exercises for improving your mindfulness around money.   A few years into her marriage, Ashley had a reckoning with money. He...

Happy New Year! It's that time again -- time for planning, goal setting, and resolutions. If you're listening to this podcast, one of your New Year's resolutions might be to save more money. YNAB can help you with that!   YNAB team member Veronica is leading the way with the More Money Challenge, a 30-day challenge to help you kick start your savings in 2022. The rules are simple, but the challeng...

It's that time of year again... time to burn it all down! The budget, that is. Every year Jesse "burns down" his budget, deleting all the categories and questioning whether the family could live without them. It's a fun thought experiment, especially with the typical must-have things.   Do you really need groceries every month? Of course you do, but what if you didn't do it? How would you survive?...

Millions of people struggle with ADHD, and it has financial ramifications -- decision fatigue, difficulty planning future purchases, and impulsive spending habits. Jak is a coach for "ADHD'ers," as she calls them, helping people form strategies for coping with emotional highs and lows and gain control over their money. An ADHD'er herself, she found the visual aspect of YNAB highly effective in kee...

We're nearly to the end of 2021, so Jesse took a moment to celebrate all of your biggest budgeting wins this year. To all the YNAB users who accomplished your goals and improved your financial standing -- no matter how big or how small -- congratulations! Here's to another year of budgeting wins, breaking the paycheck to paycheck cycle, and reduced stress.   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB...