The Jesse Mecham Show

On the surface, emergency funds sound like a very prudent idea. You set aside cash for unknowable, unforseeable events so that you aren't strapped when you really need it. We're not disagreeing with …

All money is meant to be spent, it's just a matter of when. Some people get caught in a cycle of amassing savings with no clear goal of how it is to be spent. Jesse shares an example from his wedding…

YNAB only asks that you follow one rule with your money, the golden rule of money, if you will -- give every dollar a job. And within that statement is implied that you must give every dollar you hav…

Jesse relates a story of a couple looking at a piece of gym equipment posted for sale at their local gym. It was expensive, and Emily's gut reaction was "no, it seems spendy." After some reflection s…

YNAB only has one "rule" for managing your money, and that's to give every dollar a job. This is easier said than done, however, so to help with this task, Jesse presents 5 questions to clarify what …

You've heard the term "monkey see, monkey do," and it's true of kids and money too -- and probably not in the ways you expect! Jesse shares a couple lessons about kids and money he's learned from par…

When Jesse was 25, he wrote down a goal on a notecard: to live in a paid-off house by the time he was 30. He thought that owning his house free and clear would make things feel different, give him a …

Welcome to the first episode of The Jesse Mecham Show! To kick off the new show, Jesse asks the question: what is money anyway? You might point to the cash in your wallet, you might say it's the numb…

Jesse finishes his Q&A session from his inbox with one of the longer episodes in recent memory. He also announces a big change coming to the podcast!

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Spendfulness is the new word in town, but don't be fooled! It's not just a portmanteau of "spending" and "mindfulness." Spendfulness isn't spending on the "right" or "correct" things. It doesn't mean…

Jesse continues his Q&A session from his inbox, addressing questions such as: whether an investment advisor is worth it and what to do with an inheritance windfall. Jesse also teases some upcoming ch…

Jesse cracks open his inbox for another round of Ask Jesse. In today's episode he fields questions about YNAB'ing through job loss, financing a car and investing the float, and what personal finance …

People have been doing it for years by following the YNAB method -- self-actualizing by aligning their spending with themselves. Now the YNAB team has come up with a word to describe it. It's not a b…

The Four Rules are out... the Five Questions are in! Well... not really, the Four Rules have just been transformed and clarified. As Jesse has pointed out in prior podcasts, the Four Rules were reall…

If you have been procrastinating about starting to manage your money, Jesse has a message for you. It's ok to start now, and start small -- and you don't have to be perfect either! Jesse has been usi…

Every year Jesse experiments with his money. In 2023 he decided to ditch his credit cards, and he continued that experiment through 2024. The result? His average bank account balance is up 18%, his t…

It's almost the New Year, and that means it's time to make resolutions! Jesse loves resolutions, goals, and goal planning, and he has some advice for you this year. Before you start setting your goal…

Ebenezer Scrooge is a classic Christmas tale, a tragic character who lets his insatiable desire for money blind him to the circumstances of the people around him -- particularly his employees -- and …

The FIRE movement, which stands for "Financial Independence, Retire Early," has a long-lived and strong fan base on the internet. The idea behind FIRE is simple: figure out how much money you need to…

It's not too late! The first rule of YNAB's Four Rules is "give every dollar a job," and you can implement it right now. Take a look at your bank account balance, and think to yourself: what does thi…