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 about careful budgeting living in some of the most expensive cities in the world, like London.

The most important thing for college students, she says, is to just get started with YNAB. Try just tracking your expenses for a month, and get some data about your spending habits. Then you can get a realistic picture of what a college budget should look like. You're always going to spend more on food than you think, she says, so your budget should reflect that. Secondly, be prepared to roll with the punches and go with the flow. Things change a lot from freshman to senior year -- work/study opportunities open up, off-campus housing becomes available, you might want a car -- and you can expect your budget will too.  Learn to be OK with not having a perfect budget, and know that you will only get better at it over time.

College students can use YNAB for a year FOR FREE. You just need to provide proof of enrollment. Check the link below for more details:

https://www.youneedabudget.com/college/

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 just don't feel like cooking.

As Erin reminds us, your family's grocery bill is personal! It's tempting to want to compare yourself to others, or to an average, but the best strategy is to start with where you are and find ways to adjust from there. Food is a very personal thing, and many factors play into the food choices people make (allergies/restrictions, location, busy lifestyle, food availability, etc), so keep your eyes on your own plate.

A few of Erin's favorite cooking and food-related YouTube channels:

1. Frugal Fit Mom: https://www.youtube.com/c/FrugalFitMom
2. See Mindy Mom: https://www.youtube.com/c/SeeMindyMom
3. Ardent Michelle: https://www.youtube.com/c/ArdentMichelle
4. You Suck at Cooking: https://www.youtube.com/c/yousuckatcooking
5. Glen and Friends Cooking: https://www.youtube.com/c/GlenAndFriendsCooking

Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

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:

1. 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.
2. Tag YNAB on your social media platform of choice (tags listed below).
3. Fill out the form on the YNAB website: https://www.youneedabudget.com/22-giveaway/

For those who don't do the social medias, you can email pr@ynab.com and include promotion/contest name in the subject line.

A complete explanation of the rules and terms and conditions can be found at: https://www.youneedabudget.com/22-giveaway/

YNAB social media tags

Instagram: @youneedabudget 

TikTok: @youneedabudget

Twitter: @ynab
Facebook: @iYNAB

Good luck! 

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 Nerds Podcast on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/budget-nerds/id1606054345

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/0H1u8pqYrvz6zj6noHbkB3?si=34ab3b2a3435486b