YNAB price increase - signup before 11/15 for grandfathered pricing

[SomedayStache]

I've used YNAB since 2009 and for many reasons haven't upgraded from YNAB4 to nYNAB ("new" YNAB to us old-timers).

Now nYNAB is going up in price on November 15 from $50/year to ~$84/year (for new subscribers).  They are grandfathering in people who sign up for nYNAB before November 15.

I went ahead and signed up for the free 34 day trial to lock in the $50/year price ($45 for me because of my 10% lifetime discount).  I figure I have 34 days to figure out if it's worth maintaining a subscription to.

[terran]

Hmmm... I guess I'll do the same and thing about it. Thanks for the heads up.

Where did you see this announcement?

[SomedayStache]

It sounds like the news went out in an email to some of their subscribers.  I heard of it it in a Facebook post.
Here's a link from ynab.
https://www.youneedabudget.com/price-change-faqs-2017/

[pianomom]

Do you know if you can go back to the YNAB 4 after you've trialed the new one?

[SomedayStache]

Sure you can go backwards.

The initial email you got with ynab4 contains a download link and code that will never expire.

Ynab4 is software you install on you computer, so you can install and run it as you will.

I've heard a few accounts where people run both ynab4 and nynab simultaneously until they decide which route to go with.

[channtheman]

I've always been a little surprised that mustachians pay for someone else to track their spending when it can be done pretty easily in a spreadsheet spending only a couple of hours at the most per month.  50 bucks a year isn't much, but it's 50 bucks I don't spend.

[COEE]

Wow, I have a lot of mixed feelings.  I've been using YNAB for 5.5 years now.  On one hand, I've really liked seeing it grow and seeing how much it's helped people (including myself).  I personally got out of $40k of debt in 3 years using this software, and it has helped me know I was going to be okay through a layoff - helping me sleep at night.  I have bought and given this software away to friends that I thought might want it.  People that have graduated from college, got married, asked me how to get out of debt, etc.

On the other hand, a fee based system on financial software is against my core.  One of the things that attracted me to YNAB3 initially, and now YNAB4, was that it was software that required a single payment and sat locally on my machine.  The software is somewhat protected from hackers just because of how it is constructed.  I haven't given YNAB away since it started the new fee based structure.  I just can't justify putting friends on a payment plan to help them get out of debt.

To see the price go up is certainly good for Jesse and the rest of the YNAB crew.  He is a very smart guy, and obviously has data to justify the price increase, but I just can't do it.

YNAB4 keeps working.  I'll keep using it and save the $84 per year.  I dread the day it stops working.  I'm not aware of a reasonably good competitor.  I may just need to go to a spreadsheet.

[SomedayStache]

I've always been a little surprised that mustachians pay for someone else to track their spending when it can be done pretty easily in a spreadsheet spending only a couple of hours at the most per month.  50 bucks a year isn't much, but it's 50 bucks I don't spend.

Reasonable response.  I used a spreadsheet for years but my husband never fully understood it. 
One of the strengths of YNAB is how it put my husband and I on a more level playing field  making, understanding, and following a budget.  The phone apps and synch also allow both of us to see our category balances without constant verbal communication.

If it was just me I wouldn't need YNAB.

If we were a bit more flush so that we could stop watching all the pennies, we wouldn't need YNAB.

I haven't yet paid for the subscription and may never do so. Gotta figure that out in 30ish days.

[COEE]

If we were a bit more flush so that we could stop watching all the pennies, we wouldn't need YNAB.

We are certainly there.  We don't need to track anything if we didn't want to, but it is a bit about efficiency for us.  I can see how much I have dedicated for the IRA's.  I can see how much of a emergency fund we have.  I can see how much money is in my 'envelope'.  I can see how much we've saved for our dream vacation - so that I actually take that dream vacation instead of worrying that I don't really have the money.  It's an incredibly useful tool.

Like I mentioned though.  It sure was a good feeling to know I was okay during my layoff.  I could see how much I was NOT dipping into my emergency fund - it sure helped me sleep at night.

[Wings5]

Has anyone else experienced issues downloading transactions from Chase? I had to manually reconnect my account every time I logged in. Now it won't even connect so I just download a file and upload it.

Anyone else have that going on?

[Thegoblinchief]

Has anyone else experienced issues downloading transactions from Chase? I had to manually reconnect my account every time I logged in. Now it won't even connect so I just download a file and upload it.

Anyone else have that going on?

YNAB knows about it but no fix yet AFAIK.

---

I currently like the web-based YNAB enough that I pay for it but the price increase strikes me as a really dumb move. I own YNAB 4 and have considered going back to it but currently don't feel like getting it to work on Linux (I've done it before but it's annoying), and I never got the mobile app working properly with YNAB 4.

Good Budget is a competitor that's free if 10 categories a month are sufficient for you.

Someone made a web-based app that's essentially an exact clone of YNAB 4 and is completely free (there were some caveats IIRC) but the name escapes me.

[FIREySkyline]

I've stayed with YNAB4; even the idea of a subscription was absurd to me. A price increase is just worse. I've paid $50 total for YNAB -- in 2012. I've noticed no significant benefit to the new one other than account connections, which I can take care of easily with a quick export from time to time and which can be imported automatically.

I think the $84 might be worth it for average Joe or Jane who are incapable of making sure inflows exceed outflows and who might save themselves a ton just by keeping track. For Mustachians, the $84 doesn't seem to fit the philosophy we live by.

[Joel]

I’m sticking with YNAB4 until the wheels fall off. I absolutely hate what Jesse did with nYNAB. And I’ve been using YNAB since 2007.

I’m keeping an eye on Financier.

[SomedayStache]

Hiya Joel!  (Were you the Joel who was a fire-fighter years back?  If that's you I followed your YNAB journal and posts until the YNAB forums went all to shit.)

As I contemplate trying to set up nYNAB I'm getting frustrated about having to figure out the red arrow work-around and am beginning to remember why I never switched in the first-place.  Ugh. 

[cairnstone]

I saw this message from YNAB about the price increase, and it reminded me that I have been using  the service less and less. It was an interesting novelty at first, bu I am not in debt, I make enough to cover my lifestyle without stressing too much, and I like my job too much to be planning an immediate retirement.

It seems like I can get everything I want from YNAB out of Mint, as long as I set it up correctly and ignore the advertising.

Has anyone tried both Mint and YNAB (for more than the few minutes that those writing the online comparison reviews seem to have done) who can give some deeper, better informed opinions?

[Joel]

Hiya Joel!  (Were you the Joel who was a fire-fighter years back?  If that's you I followed your YNAB journal and posts until the YNAB forums went all to shit.)

As I contemplate trying to set up nYNAB I'm getting frustrated about having to figure out the red arrow work-around and am beginning to remember why I never switched in the first-place.  Ugh. 

I am! Hi!