The Jesse Mecham Show

Jesse ponders the question -- what is enough? What if you set the bar at physical subsistance, enough food, shelter, and clothing to be secure? If that is enough, then everything you have beyond it is extra. When you set the bar there, then everything you spend on extra takes on more meaning -- it's not stuff you have to buy, it's stuff you get to buy, and therefore is more expressive of yourself.

What does your money need to do.....

In keeping with the theme of last week's episode and reducing your information intake, today Jesse encourages reducing your to-do lists as well. Referencing Oliver Burkeman's Four Thousand Weeks, he points out that waiting to relax and engage in leisure until after the to-do list is finished is a futile exercise -- the to-do list will never be finished, the sense of urgency to add more and do more will never relent... until you gi...

YNAB is all about creating clarity with your money, and that central question -- what does it need to do? -- and therefore, clarity in your life. Clarity is very difficut, if not impossible, to achieve when you are overloaded and overwhelmed with inputs. Today Jesse challenges you to unhook yourself from the matrix, turn off the feeds, leave social media, and drastically reduce your diet of information. Not just for a week, try it ...

Jesse reflects on the technological and cultural sea change underway as AI permeates everyday life. After publishing his new book, Never Worry About Money Again, Jesse scheduled the release of the audiobook version -- which he recorded himself in a studio in Salt Lake City -- only to find that someone had already released an audiobook with an AI generated voice clone. There are many such cases nowadays, leading Jesse to wonder -- h...

In part 3 of the latest installment of Ask Jesse, Jesse reflects on his 2023 experiment of ditching his credit card and spending only with a debit card -- which he stills does today! He also answers a question about what he eats for breakfast, and shares how his experience leasing a Tesla (which he now owns) led to him to realize that his insistence on driving a 2002 Honda Civic was really just pride masquerading as frugality.

Got...

In part 2 of the latest installment of Ask Jesse, Jesse offers some advice about how to work with a spouse who is reluctant or disinterested in YNAB. He also discusses savings accounts for kids, and how the Mecham family uses YNAB with the kids, at each stage of age and maturity.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Pre-order Jesse's new book! www.neverworryaboutmoneyagain.com

Follow YNAB on social medi...

Jesse's answering questions from his inbox, including questions about which retirement accounts to contribute to, how to save money in retirement when you don't have an income, and how a young person can save for multiple goals at the same time.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Pre-order Jesse's new book! www.neverworryaboutmoneyagain.com

Follow YNAB on social media:

Facebook: @ynabofficial

Instagr...

Jesse reads a short excerpt from his new book, Never Worry About Money Again. How does it feel to not worry about money day to day? It's not the end of all worry, but the freedom from money worry gives you the space to think about and work through the rest of your life. As Jesse says, the way you spend isn't just a parallel to the rest of your life, it is your life.

Pre-order Jesse's new book! www.neverworryaboutmoneyagain.com

Go...

Jesse shares a story about how one little donut that he passed by every day on his way to class as a struggling college student inspired him to develop a method for managing money that transformed his life, and millions of others by creating YNAB.

Pre-order Jesse's new book now! www.neverworryaboutmoneyagain.com

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Follow YNAB on social media:

Facebook: @ynabofficial

I...

Americans have done it again, setting a record $1.25 trillion in credit card debt as of Q1 2026. There was a time in not too distant history, however, when credit card debt went down, and bankers were afraid, at least for a little bit.

Getting good at money doesn't have to be hard, and money doesn't have to be a constant source of stress and anxiety. You just have to answer one simple question.

Pre-order Jesse's new book now! www...

For those in relationships, getting good at money is not just a gift to yourself, it's a gift to you and your partner. Getting good at money means spending well, and spending well for a couple means putting more of yourselves out into the world via your dollars. Spending well leads to alignment, both of you on the same page regarding what you want your money to do for you and what you want your future to look like.

Getting good at...

Over the last several weeks Jesse has laid out some of the hallmarks of going from being bad at money (which is, frankly, how most of us start out) to good at money, including the benefits of being good at money -- less stress and anxiety, enjoying life more, engaging with life more. All these wins compound over time, and eventually you can become great with money, which means you can start bending the world to your will like ...

That's right, Jesse has a new book out and it's available for pre-order now. After twenty years of running YNAB and a decade plus of podcasts, Fan Fests, speaking engagements, and more, Jesse has distilled his thinking about money into his best work: Never Worry About Money Again.

Getting good at money doesn't have to be hard, and money doesn't have to be a constant source of stress and anxiety. You just have to answer one simple ...

When you're no longer stressed about money, you begin to enjoy the things you like guilt-free. Whether it's a treat or a tool or an experience you've always wanted, getting good at money frees you up to pursue happiness in life and express more of yourself in the world. In short, it's makes you more... you!

How do you get good with money? YNAB is a great place to start! Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at ynab.com/jesse

W...

When you're bad at money, it only brings you worry. Get good at it, however, and it's empowering. Like Thanos' gauntlet.

How do you get good with money? YNAB is a great place to start! Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at ynab.com/jesse

Watch The Jesse Mecham Show on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@jessemechamshow

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Follow YNAB on social media:

Facebook: @yna...

Reality can be a scary thing. When we're bad with money (and most of us start that way), money feels, well... we'd rather just not look. Maybe if we don't look, that thing we're worrying about -- not having enough for looming bills, going into debt -- well maybe it will just go away. But we don't have to live in fear. Getting good with money means that you can face reality, and not only face it but embrace it. Make decisions with c...