This guy? He wanted hot dog gloves. So he created a category for hot dog gloves, saved up for hot dog gloves, and now he’s the guilt-free owner of (glorious) hot dog gloves. This is the version of adulthood we all dreamed about as children.

He made a plan to spend his money in a way that made him happy. That’s spendfulness. 

What will your version of hot dog gloves be?

The YNAB Method is to give every dollar a job. It’s the key to intentional spending. 

When you make a plan for your money, you’re making a plan for your life. Spontaneous take-out is a lot less tempting when you know you’re borrowing dollars from your “Sushi-Making Class in Tokyo” fund. Restriction isn’t inspiring, but clarity can be. 

We have five questions that will help you give every dollar a job, and we’ll cover those over the next couple of days. The questions you ask yourself may change as your circumstances do, but these are a great starting point for experiencing spendfulness. Let’s start with reality: 

What does this money need to do before I’m paid again? 

You can’t get where you want to go without knowing where you are. Getting clear about how much money you have and what that money needs to do next helps you avoid spending more important money on less important things. 

In the app, you’ll do this by adding your accounts, creating categories that reflect your goals and priorities, and assigning each and every dollar you have to one of those categories. (Don’t worry, the onboarding wizard will help with that!) ?

In the next email, we’ll discuss the myth of the perfect month. But in the meantime, remember that money should feel like an opportunity instead of an obstacle.

? Feeling a little unclear on what you want life to look like? Look, we’re not all born knowing we want hot dog gloves. Get started with some self-reflection in our digital Change Your Money Mindset workbook.