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Works with YNAB

For YNAB budgeters

The perfect companion to your YNAB plan.

You do the budgeting in YNAB. BudgetMynd builds on that with spending trends over time, a day-by-day cash flow calendar, help balancing your budget to the 50/30/20 rule, and a way to split each paycheck — then sends the changes back to YNAB when you’re ready.

Start for freeSign in

Connects through YNAB’s own sign-in process, starting read-only. Your YNAB password is never shared.

New to budgeting? Start with our free guides.

Spending Breakdown
Sample monthly spending by categoryHousing: $1,850Groceries: $720Transportation: $480Dining Out: $360Utilities: $240Personal Care: $190Other (6): $310
$4,150Total
Sample monthly spending by category
CategoryAmount
Housing$1,850
Groceries$720
Transportation$480
Dining Out$360
Utilities$240
Personal Care$190
Other (6)$310
  • Housing45%
  • Groceries17%
  • Transportation12%
  • Dining Out9%
  • Utilities6%
  • Personal Care5%
  • Other (6)7%

Reports

See your spending more clearly

Spending averages and a 50/30/20 breakdown, on top of YNAB's own reports. They load fast because they're built from a copy of your plan stored here. Click into any part to see the transactions behind it, in a list you can search and sort.

  • Spending Breakdown — every dollar by category for any date range
  • Monthly Average — your average monthly spending per category, next to its YNAB target
  • Budget Distribution — how your targets compare to the 50/30/20 rule, tithing included

Learn more

Explore the reports
Reports · Budget Distribution

Needs / Wants / Savings & Debt

Monthly income $6,000
  • Essential Needs · 50% ($3,000)$3,120· $2,880 spent
  • Lifestyle Wants · 30% ($1,800)$1,560· $1,670 spent
  • Savings & Debt · 20% ($1,200)$1,320· $1,200 spent
Sample 50/30/20 split: each bucket's target and spend against its ideal share
LabelValueSpentReference
Essential Needs · 50% ($3,000)$3,120$2,880$3,000
Lifestyle Wants · 30% ($1,800)$1,560$1,670$1,800
Savings & Debt · 20% ($1,200)$1,320$1,200$1,200
Essential Needs
52%
+$120 from ideal
Lifestyle Wants
26%
−$240 from ideal
Savings & Debt
22%
+$120 from ideal

Financial calendar

Spot a shortfall weeks before it happens

Starts from today's balance and moves it forward one day at a time — adding paychecks you're expecting and subtracting bills, scheduled transactions, and money set aside for each category.

  • Switch between a month or week view, looking up to a year ahead
  • Any day your balance dips below zero gets flagged, with the first one called out
  • Click a day for its income, set-asides, and projected balance

Learn more

See the calendar
Financial Calendar

Balance trend

Sample projected running checking balance, dipping below zero once
Sample projected running checking balance, dipping below zero once
PeriodValue
Start$2,400
Sep 5$1,980
Sep 10$1,230
Sep 15$620
Sep 18$-140
Sep 20$90
Sep 26$1,740
Sep 30$2,260
$2,400$2,260
  • Fri Sep 12Paycheck+$2,150
  • Mon Sep 15Rent−$1,850
  • Wed Sep 17Car insurance−$290
  • Thu Sep 18Groceries set-aside−$85

Budget optimizer

Balance your whole budget to 50/30/20

Averages your real spending per category over the past 12 to 36 months. One click trims the groups spending too much and gives that money to the groups spending too little — Needs first, then Savings, then Wants.

  • Every category gets its own slider, starting at your YNAB target with a mark at its average
  • Fixed bills and percentage categories are left untouched by default
  • Send your new targets to YNAB — you can always undo it later

Learn more

Try the optimizer
Budget Optimizer

Housing

Essential Needs · Fixed Bills

Groceries

Essential Needs · Variable Bills

Dining Out

Lifestyle Wants · Flexible Spending

Paycheck allocator

Split each paycheck in one step

Works out what each category still needs from your next paycheck. A bill due before the following payday comes entirely from this one, and later bills are shared across the paychecks that land first.

  • Starts each slider at what that category needs from this paycheck
  • Flags any category that may not be funded by its due date
  • Adds to what's already assigned in YNAB for the month — send it again and it stacks

Learn more

Split a paycheck
Paycheck Allocator
This paycheck$2,150.00

HousingNeeded $925.00 by Sep 30

Rollover $0.00 + Assigned $925.00 − Spent $0.00 + $925.00 = $1,850.00

Available $925.00
Spent $0.00Goal $1,850.00

UtilitiesNeeded $170.00 by Sep 15

Rollover $0.00 + Assigned $40.00 − Spent $0.00 + $120.00 = $160.00

Available $40.00
Spent $0.00Goal $210.00

GroceriesNeeded $520.00

Rollover $0.00 + Assigned $180.00 − Spent $0.00 + $350.00 = $530.00

Available $180.00
Spent $0.00Goal $700.00

From sign-up to first report

How it works

What to set up first, so the app has something to work with. The getting started guide covers each step in more detail.

  1. 1

    Connect YNAB

    Go to Settings → YNAB, click Connect, sign in at YNAB and approve access, then pick the plan you want to work with.

  2. 2

    Run the first sync

    Click Sync now (in Settings → YNAB, or on the prompt shown the first time you open a report). It pulls in your categories, transactions and scheduled transactions — give it a minute.

  3. 3

    Add your income

    In Settings → Income, add each place your money comes from: how much you get, how often, and the date of a recent payday if you know it.

  4. 4

    Classify your categories

    In Settings → Categories, give every category a type. That is all a category needs to show up in the reports and tools. Tithing also asks for a percentage and how it should come out of your plan.

  5. 5

    Check the home page

    The three cards at the top of the dashboard turn green once YNAB, income and categories are all ready.

  6. 6

    Read-only until you send

    BudgetMynd can only look at your plan at first. The first time you send targets or a paycheck split to YNAB, it will ask you to allow changes too.

Create your account

Free guides

Learn the methods behind a steady budget

Plain explanations with worked examples. They’re useful whether or not you ever sign up.

ImageThe 50/30/20 rule, explained with real numbersWhat counts as a need, a want, or savings, a worked example on a $6,000 income, and what to do when your numbers refuse to fit the rule.Read the guide
ImageHow to budget by paycheck when bills do not line upBills arrive on their own schedule, and paychecks on another. Here is how to fund each bill from the right paycheck, with a two-paycheck example worked through.Read the guide
ImageSinking funds: how to stop being surprised by predictable billsCar insurance, holidays and repairs are not emergencies. Learn how to find these costs, work out what to set aside each month, and catch up if you start late.Read the guide
Browse all guidesRead the money management FAQ

Pricing

One plan, billed once a year

Reports, the financial calendar, and read-only YNAB access are free, forever. Premium unlocks the Budget Optimizer and Paycheck Allocator.

  • Budget Optimizer — balance your whole budget to the 50/30/20 rule
  • Paycheck Allocator — split every paycheck across your categories in one step
  • Cancel any time before your next renewal
Start for freeSign in

Your plan data stays yours

Kept safe on our servers

Your connection to YNAB is stored securely and never sent to your browser. Everything that talks to YNAB happens on our servers, not your device.

Read-only until you send

BudgetMynd can only look at your plan at first. It only asks to make changes the first time you send targets or a paycheck split to YNAB.

Changes can be undone

We save a copy before every change we make in YNAB, so anything sent from Optimize or Allocate can be undone.

Not affiliated with YNAB or You Need A Budget, LLC. Read our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions, or see how our YNAB connection works.

See your plan in a whole new light

Create an account, connect YNAB read-only, and run your first report in a few minutes.

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