Michelle Anderson

I am the first in my family to go to college and went on to earn a master's degree which opened me up to incredible career opportunities but also saddled me with a lot of debt (when I graduated I had over $120k in debt/loans). I was introduced to YNAB in 2018 by friends that used it to quit their jobs and travel. Admittedly, I was not successful with my first attempt. In 2020 I enthusiastically recommitted - I was motivated by the desire to have my hard-earned dollars go toward other priorities than potentially paying another $50k in interest alone!

My goal with coaching clients includes a bit of a balancing act: I want to spend sufficient time understanding your situation and interests (so that YNAB can best reflect your reality), while simultaneously getting you up and running as quickly as possible (so that the money you’re spending on coaching can go to another of your priorities). There is already so much great informational material on the YNAB website, but sometimes it's nice having a buddy either to help you through the challenging parts, hold you accountable with habit-building homework, or cheer on all of your financial wins!

I am passionate about YNAB because it was the first method that never told me HOW I should be allocating my money, but instead simply gave me the tools to understand and be more mindful of where my money was going. YNAB was like no system I had experienced before. Using YNAB gave me greater clarity on why I felt insecure about my financial situation, which in turn actually reduced my anxiety, much to my surprise. I love helping clients learn YNAB so they can reach this moment in their financial journey too - spending their money stress and shame-free!