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Unpopular take: the budget tracking app craze is overrated

I tried YNAB for 3 months after my brother swore by it. Instead of feeling in control, I just felt anxious every time I opened it. Has anyone else found that old school envelope method or a simple spreadsheet actually works better for them?
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3 Comments
grant.sam
grant.sam19d ago
You said you felt anxious every time you opened it, and that's the thing about all these apps now. We've turned money management into another screen to stare at when the real trick is just building a small habit of checking where your cash is going. Seems like we keep looking for a perfect system when the old simple ways still do the job fine.
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murphy.barbara
murphy.barbara19d agoTop Commenter
$34.95 a month just to feel bad about buying coffee. I stuck with it for two months before I went back to a yellow legal pad and a calculator. @grant.sam hit it - these apps turn a simple thing into a whole production. My wife still uses a notebook and she's never been late on a bill in 15 years.
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sagep19
sagep1919d ago
@murphy.barbara did that notebook method actually feel more freeing or just less pressure.
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