Congratulations! Being ready and willing to dive into your finances with eyes wide open is at least half the battle.

Now we want to help you get up and running with this shiny new method for managing your money, with a quickness! It’s not hard (and the payoff is huge!) but it will require a moment of undivided attention and a little pre-game organization.


You’ll need about 20-30 minutes. Shut off Netflix. Put your phone on silent. (Not required, but it feels good every now and then, doesn’t it?) This will go even faster, if you collect a few things before you dig in:

Learn The Method

Before we get knee-deep into the app, we want to give you a brief overview of our unique method for managing money that has helped so many people take control of their finances. No one taught you how to budget? Consider this your crash course. If you’re already familiar with the four rules of YNAB, skip ahead to the next step!

Harness the power of a zero-based budget

Envelope budgeting is the original zero-based budget, we just transformed it into a more convenient digital version. With zero-based budgeting, you take all the money you have right now (like actually in your bank account), and divvy it up across bills, debt, and savings until you have zero dollars left to allocate. Every time you get paid, you will decide what those dollars need to do before you get paid again. Zero-based budgeting means you’re firmly in charge of your finances and have more clarity to make financial decisions big and small.

Learn The Methodology

Before we get knee-deep into the app, we want to give you a brief overview of our unique method for managing money that has helped so many people take control of their finances. No one taught you how to budget? Consider this your crash course. If you’re already familiar with the four rules of YNAB, skip ahead to the next step!

Harness the power of a zero-based budget

Envelope budgeting is the original zero-based budget, we just transformed it into a more convenient digital version. With zero-based budgeting, you take all the money you have right now (like actually in your bank account), and divvy it up across bills, debt, and savings until you have zero dollars left to allocate. Every time you get paid, you will decide what those dollars need to do before you get paid again. Zero-based budgeting means you’re firmly in charge of your finances and have more clarity to make financial decisions big and small

Spending statements

What are all the things you need to pay for each month? Recent bank or credit cards statements come in handy here. Bonus points if you know the due dates of your individual bills! If you don’t have exact figures, no big deal—when in doubt, aim high!

‍Account credentials

Whether you’re pulling your spending records for reference or connecting your accounts (which is completely optional), you’ll need your login credentials for these accounts. Dust off those usernames, unearth those forgotten passwords. Set up your mission control!

An open mind

We know it isn’t easy, but try and forget everything you think you know about budgeting. Don’t let any past experiences, assumptions, or perceived failures hold you back any further. Today is a fresh start, a clean slate.