Like your buddy Brittany, bank cards in YNAB is usually a little…additional. Bank cards in YNAB don’t have a favorable steadiness that feeds the funds like checking and financial savings accounts. Actually, extra ceaselessly than now not, you’ve got a damaging steadiness ready to be paid off.
Favor to look at as a substitute of learn? Watch this video on putting in bank cards in YNAB.
Let’s say you’ve got a -$2,400 steadiness on a Visa card. Whilst you may now not be capable of pay it off at the moment, you do know you’ll make a cost of $300 every month to chip away at that steadiness.
Whilst you set this up to your YNAB funds, you’ll see a brand new account indexed with a damaging steadiness of -$2,400 appearing up in purple textual content. Plus, you’ll additionally get a Credit score Card Fee class added on your funds itself with a per thirty days goal quantity of $300. See what that appears like within the video under:
See how those new budgeters arrange bank cards of their YNAB funds.
What Occurs Once I Purchase Issues With My Credit score Card?
Whilst you put money into a bank card, you create a bit of little bit of debt. Did you purchase that gum? Neatly, kind of, however you haven’t in fact spent any of your cash. The bank card purchased the gum for you and ultimately you’re going to pay them again. That’s debt.
The vital factor is that you just reserve the cash to repay that debt, and that’s what your YNAB funds is designed to do. Right here’s the way it works, the usage of that gum (sure, foolish) for instance:
- Whilst you upload a bank card to YNAB, a Credit score Card Bills Class is routinely created.
- Assign some cash on your groceries class (the usage of cash you have already got!).
- Whilst you swipe your bank card to pay for the gum, input a spending transaction for groceries to your bank card account. Whilst you do that, the cash to hide the gum acquire will transfer from that Groceries class to your bank card bills class. Routinely.

Now, your cash sits there within the Credit score Card Fee Class. Twiddling its thumbs. And that’s a just right factor, as a result of on this international not anything is sure, aside from loss of life and taxes…and your bank card invoice. Right here’s how to do this ultimate one in YNAB:
However What About Credit score Card Pastime?
Now, a few of you can be asking, “OK, I am getting that, however my bank card corporate fees pastime. How do I maintain that?”
Pastime is the price that your bank card corporate fees you for overtime to repay debt. Just about the one benefit of pastime, is that it would inspire you to repay your debt quicker to steer clear of the additional rate.
As with all expense, you wish to have to funds for pastime bills. To try this, arrange an “Pastime” class in YNAB. Should you don’t know precisely how a lot the pastime will likely be, funds a bit of greater than you are expecting.
Then, when pastime hits your bank card steadiness, file it to your bank card account, similar to some other expense. As an alternative of shopping for groceries (or one thing a laugh), you’re purchasing extra time to repay your debt.
Eyes at the Prize
The quicker you repay your bank card, the fewer pastime you’ll pay, so be competitive! YNAB is designed to assist, that’s why our device handles bank cards this fashion—we wish to permit you to focal point on budgeting your money, and steer clear of going additional into debt, in an effort to in the end be debt-free!
Need Extra Lend a hand With The use of Credit score Playing cards in YNAB?
Our glorious academics be offering loose, are living categories and feature workshops in particular to grasp your bank cards and create a debt paydown plan.