Jesse interviews strength coach, former pro Strongman, and founder of Barbell Logic Online Coaching, Matt Reynolds, about the many analogs between strength training and budgeting.

Matt relates the Four Rules to the basic tenets of effective strength training -- consistency, small increases in weight each workout that add up to big results over time, and focusing on the  things that will give you the greatest bang for your buck. Matt relates strength training to a "physical 401(k)," where the work that you do today to build you fitness and health can be drawn on later in life when the inevitabilities of aging and life events happen. Strong people are more resilient and more useful, especially in old age!

Matt's company, Barbell Logic Online Coaching, offers customized strength, conditioning, and nutrition coaching to individuals,  pairing each trainee with their own highly trained Barbell Logic coach.

If you're interested in trying out Barbell Logic Online Coaching, you can get the first month totally free when you sign up. And, YNAB listeners can get an additional $10/mo off their future months. Sign up here:

https://store.barbell-logic.com/ynab/

Take the 34-day challenge:

https://www.youneedabudget.com/34dayreset/

If you've been doing the 34-Day Reset, you're in full sprint mode right now. And it might be tough! But the beauty of the reset is that it's just 34 days, and affords you some space to reflect on whether your money is working for you and helping you achieve your goals and values.

So stick with it, finish strong, and bask in the extra money you will have saved. You're almost there!

Take the challenge:

https://www.youneedabudget.com/34dayreset/

Jesse interviews Katie about her journey after college to Hawaii, where she went through a tough breakup and financially tenuous times. She persevered through those hard times, discovered YNAB (actually re-discovered, having first encountered YNAB in college) and began to get her budget back on track in a notoriously expensive state. The hard work paid off; Katie met her husband and was able to have a dream wedding in Hawaii, and the couple now enjoy a rich life... paid in cash!

Katie is quick to point out that she hasn't always made the financially optimal choice, but she is intentional about everything she does. She and her husband decided to hold off paying down their student loans in order to finance their wedding, for example. Katie has set aside money to buy her husband a new computer, and they leave room in their budget for their favorite hobbies and pursuits -- for Katie, her side business coaching women in personal finance and helping them avoid traps like MLM schemes; for her husband, collecting and competing in  the Magic the Gathering card game.

While this approach may result in paying down debt slower, and not maximizing savings, it's a sustainable approach for them. As Katie reminds us, personal finance is personal!

Are you ready to take the challenge? https://www.youneedabudget.com/34dayreset/

Jesse offers three ways to stop spending money and kickstart your savings:

1. Designate a "no spend" day. Pick a day of the week where you will deliberately spend NO money, and dutifully stick to that. Be realistic! If you usually have a date night on Friday, then pick another day. Maybe's it's a Tuesday, maybe it's a Sunday, but it should work with your schedule.
2. Treat your savings as a purchase. In other words, change your mindset about what spending is. Instead of buying a good or service, treat your saving as "buying investments" or "buying back your debt." Some people turn buying small numbers of shares in an index fund into a game, where their investment brings them pleasure just like buying a coffee or a croissant at the local coffee shop.
3. Identify your triggers. Pay attention when you have an impulse to buy something. Does it happen in certain places? Certain websites or forums? Perhaps on your way home from work? Find your spending "triggers," and work on ways to avoid them. Take a different route home, block or limit your access to certain websites... things you can do to help you avoid the impulse in the first place.

Are you ready for a financial reset?

https://www.youneedabudget.com/34dayreset/

Jesse talks with YNAB'er Liz about her recent conversion to the YNAB software, which she discovered through the social media network Tik Tok. In just six months with YNAB, Liz has already reversed her financial situation, paid off debt, and created financial  security for her family.

Are you ready to take the challenge? https://www.youneedabudget.com/34dayreset/

Just like weight loss, there are some people who manage to pay off their debt through a burst of willpower and concerted effort... only to fall into debt again, usually slowly. Jesse points out that often this is a failure to follow Rule Two (Embracing Your True Expenses), and discusses how you can prevent slipping into old habits in the New Year.

Are you ready for a financial reset?

https://www.youneedabudget.com/34dayreset/