March 2025 (Pre-YNAB) Spending vs. March 2026 (9 Months of YNAB) Spending

Last April, before I was a YNABer, I went through all of my March 2025 bank statements and broke my spending down into categories. I was spending 174% of my net income and riding the credit card float. To give you a sense of how out of touch I was with my finances, I received a letter around that time informing me of a rent increase. I was surprised because I did not know how much I was paying in rent, and thought that I had been paying more than the new amount!

Just for fun, I used that spending data to divide my March 2025 spending into my current YNAB categories and compare it to my March 2026 spending. I added the "Eating Out/Vending" and "Preparedness" (anxiety-driven purchases of practical but unnecessary items) to help break down my $660.18 in Joyful Spending.

It seems like March is always an expensive month for me, and last month was no exception! I am right in the thick of preparing for a move to a more affordable apartment that is closer to my work. The difference is that, this time, that spending is aligned with my priorities and fully funded in advance!