The Jesse Mecham Show

In episode 411, Jesse decried the ubiquity of credit cards and the fact that they enjoy a number of benefits that plain old debit cards do not... at the risk of getting yourself in debt. Since then, he's learned of a few strategies for managing fraud risk with debit cards.   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com   Also, go to https://www.youneedabudget.com/bootcamp/  to...

Jesse admits he's got an itch to scratch. He likes to invest gamble in the stock market from time to time, using an app that allows him to trade at the swipe of a finger.   At least he's honest -- it's gambling with fun money, not investing. And that's the key. It's money he can afford to lose, and it's not much.   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com   Also, go to htt...

Wealth is not a dirty word. After all, wealth can allow us to do many interesting and fulfilling things with our lives. At the very least, it provides options , opening up the range of possibilities before us. Simply put, wealth can allow us to live the life we want to live.   The only problem is that the accumulation of wealth is often followed by increasing expenses. Some of these are obvious --...

Save money for known future expenses, or pay down debt? It's a challenge many people face while trying to eliminate their debt. It's a conundrum too -- you could take your savings and pay down debt now, or hold onto to those savings for the new tires you know your car needs next month, or the Christmas gifts you want to buy for the family. If you do that, though, the debt balance stays the same wh...

Jesse reflects on a Senate bill -- now signed into law as the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act -- which will require a greater amount of employers to offer 401(k) plans to employees. The new law also makes it easier for annuities to be included in 401(k) offerings by easing the fiduciary rules around fees and expense ratios.   401k) plans are excellent vehicles fo...

For better or worse (probably worse), credit cards are a major part of our financial world now. Cash is becoming less and less convenient to use every year, and debit cards continue to lack the same level of fraud protection that credit cards enjoy.   This isn't coincidence either. Jesse attended a "payments trends" conference in 2019, where the main topic was how to make payments easier, to remov...

It's time to blow it all up! Every January, Jesse takes time with his family to "blow up" his budget and all the assumptions that drive it. He takes a fresh look at the dollars in the budget, and starts to question everything.   Need to set aside $400 for a new set of tires in March? That's a responsible Rule #2 line of thinking. But the burndown is your chance to think deeper... do we even need a...

If you made it through the last few weeks, you know why Jesse hates debt and why you should too!   Start the New Year by putting those feelings into action. Jesse has created a "debt bootcamp" for YNAB users to help you get serious about getting rid of your debt for good. Best of all, it's FREE for all YNAB software subscribers.   The Debt Bootcamp will be an intense, 8-week challenge to get rid o...

The corporations are playing a game, and you can't win. So opt out and stop playing the game! In the part 4 of the "Why I Hate Debt" miniseries, Jesse explains how behind every credit card is a clever system of points, travel miles, and other "free" rewards designed to keep you spending and in debt.   Credit cards are a very profitable industry. Would banks and finance companies be giving away rew...

Jesse hates debt, and you should too! In Part 3 of anti-debt miniseries, Jesse argues that debt is not just a drain on our cash flow and creativity, it also restricts our future opportunities!   The burden of debt keeps us from realizing our full potential in many ways -- starting a business, taking a lower paying job for more fulfilling work, moving to a new state or country -- often in the early...

In Part 2 of the Why I Hate Debt miniseries, Jesse explains why debt is a non-negotiable for him, and why is should be for you too.   At 22 years old, trying to finish his Masters degree and expecting his first child, Jesse found himself caught between two non-negotiables: 1.) Living without debt, and 2.) Allowing his wife to quit work to focus on raising their child. The problem? They didn't have...

Jesse hates debt, and you should too. Debt service constricts our cash flow, limits out ability to do other things like savings and investing, and generally introduces more stress into our lives. In this first part of a mini-series on debt, Jesse makes a case for living completely debt-free.   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com  

Some of you may be thinking, YNAB sounds great, but what if I don't get a regular paycheck? How am I supposed to budget with that? Well, first off, you definitely need a budget! Planning to fund your expenses in future months becomes more critical the more variable your income is.   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

Jesse is thinking about launching a separate podcast to discuss small business, internet marketing, and how you can use YNAB to manage your business cash flow, and he wants to know what you think!   Would you be interested in a business-focused podcast? What kind of topics would you like to hear about?   Email Jesse at podcast@youneedabudget.com  and share your thoughts!   Sign up for a free 34-da...

Jesse asks the most important question about your reasons for getting out of debt, saving money, and achieving your financial goals. Why?   Why do you do it? What's the reason behind the goals? If you could write a mission statement for your life, what would it say? Answering the simple question "Why?" might be the most important thing you do after you complete the blocking and tackling of paying...

"FI" is an acronym that has steadily grown in popularity over the last decade, though the concept is much older than that. It stands for financial independence -- some people call it early retirement (the longer acronym FIRE stands for financial independence, retire early) -- but the idea is simple. Live below your means, drastically increase your savings rate and accumulate enough wealth to "reti...

It's common to set milestones for paying down debt. They're usually big, round numbers like $500, $1k, $5k, $10k. At the end of the day though, the goals are arbitrary. It's just a number, a stepping stone, toward the greater goal.   So if the day to day grind of fiscal responsibility is getting to you, change your milestones! Maybe it's $749, or $362.54. It's all arbitrary, right? Have fun with t...

How do you order your categories? What's on top? What's on bottom? And how did you decide that?   Categories are easy to order once you understand your priorities. Rent, utilities, food -- these are non-negotiable. You can and should, however, drill down into the details of each category and ask yourself whether you could live without some of the expenses in that category. You need utilities to li...

Why do we become desensitized to the upticks in price of just about everything?     Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

"We could spend less if we wanted to."     Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

New feature alert: two factor authentication     Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

Everyone is getting into the lending money game. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

Jesse discusses payroll advance apps.     Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

Jesse discusses payroll advances in relation to age of money.     Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

Jesse goes back to basics and breaks down YNAB's Rule Four: Age Your Money     Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com