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@mediagirl: FYI you can do exactly the same thing with Mint, though its displayed as separate transactions (as if you did 2 checkouts). There's a little symbol next to the transaction to indicate it was a split transaction.

@mediagirl: Coming back to comment on this piece: "two checkouts would work, as well. Unfortunately it comes down to our credit card statement just saying "Walmart" or "Sam's Club." If we go to another grocery store, I KNOW we bought just groceries. I think noting things after the purchase will help with knowing where our $$ is going."

What we do is, we charge EVERYTHING onto our credit cards. Anything we pay in cash, we don't track... but we rarely pay cash. We don't save receipts because I login to my credit card accounts and checking account every day so I can keep my budget up to date. The only time I do save receipts is when we go to places like Costco or Target, where we're buying from multiple categories. I use a pen, mark up those receipts, and parse out all the different categories, so that I can put them in the appropriate categories in YNAB. It's not like we're constantly shopping at Costco or Target, so it doesn't feel that tedious to me.

@locavore_mama: Haha, I'm always playing around with YNAB. I'm a little obsessed.

I'm not sure I understand your question - what do u mean?

@locavore_mama: Oh ok - I think I know what you're saying (tell me if I'm misinterpreting!). We have been able to build a buffer, so we currently "live on last month's income" (YNAB Rule #4). At the beginning of each month, we already have a number in place at the top (where it says "Available to Budget"), and I just fill in the categories until it goes down to zero. It doesn't matter if it comes out of our checking or cc because even though we use our cc, we pay it off in full from our checking account - everything is tied together. The money is already there.

Prior to having a buffer in place (before we were able to "live on last month's income and instead doing the paycheck to paycheck thing), I always just had a set number in mind (based on how much our paychecks were going to bring in) and would not budget past that number. To ensure that our income matched our expenses.

Sorry, I'm trying to not make it sound confusing but I think it might be confusing to read! I don't know if I answered your question....

@locavore_mama: Haha, thanks!! It's a good feeling. BUT did I answer your question??

@Mrs. High Heels: You explained it well. This is what we do too. Our chequeing accounts and cc's are all under "on budget accounts". So when I spend from my cc, it takes it out of our "budget" section. Like you, we are living on last months budget so our cc's get paid off each month.

The biggest adjustment for me, when starting YNAB, was trying not to forecast our budget. I was SO confused! But, now that I have figured it out, it makes so much more sense to budget this way.

@mediagirl: @Mrs. High Heels: @.twist.: Another YNAB fanatic here. It's seriously life changing!

@.twist.: Yes, I had to change my mindset from forecasting too! All of YNAB's reasonings make so much sense - makes me wonder why I wasn't doing it before!

@TemperanceBrennan: I also have a little comment for each category to put my ideal monthly goal too!

@Mrs. High Heels: haha, it makes me want to be all like:

to people who budget the "old" way. HAH