When I entered my senior year of college, I realized that I needed to learn how to manage money before graduating. Up to that point, I had been using a notebook to keep track of the income from my campus jobs and the money I was spending. The system worked, but I was more focused on tracking what I spent than understanding where my money was going.
Whenever I spent money instead of saving it for unnamed future expenses, I felt guilty—even if I could afford what I was buying. I wanted to learn a better, more sustainable system that would help me plan for expenses before they arrived.
After my first few meetings with the Northingtons, I learned how to use You Need A Budget (YNAB). I learned how to set and stick to a budget and plan for expenses in advance. It wasn’t one big breakthrough for me but rather a gradual realization that this system really worked.
It has also increased my faith and generosity. Because I know where my money is going, I’m able to give freely and wisely.
Going forward, I plan to continue using a budget to intentionally direct where my monthly income should go. This has been an incredibly valuable and encouraging experience, and I’m looking forward to continuing to use what I’ve learned.
