The Peace of Mind Plan: Get a Month Ahead

Money stress hides in your shoulders, in your relationships, in the way you wake up at 3 AM wondering if that bill already went through. It’s in the way you hold your breath at checkout, hoping your card won’t decline. It’s in the quiet second-guessing that follows you from paycheck to paycheck, whispering: you’re not safe yet.

Or maybe it sounds more like: Am I putting enough away for retirement? Do I have enough for travel? Am… I enough?

The worst part? You get used to second-guessing. I know, because I’ve been there.

Until one day, something shifts.

“I couldn’t believe I did it. I felt like I could do anything after that.”

“Like slipping the bounds of something I hadn’t even realized was holding me down.”

“Even though I had four kids, owned a home, and ran a business, it was the first time I really felt grown up.”

“I could breathe. I had truly been underwater for so long.”

“The biggest relief.”

“Immense‍, like ‘Wow… I did that.’ It was the exact opposite of the feeling of dread and shame when I hit my lowest point financially.”

These are all real reactions from YNABers who have hit a transformational milestone: getting a full month ahead. 

And now, we’ve built this moment directly into the YNAB app to help you get there too.

Our goal? To help you wake up on the first of the month knowing every bill, grocery run, and expense is already covered.

(Oh, and to help you stop waking up at 3 AM wondering if you paid that bill. You’ve got better things to do in adulthood—like sleep.)

What does it mean to be a month ahead?

Getting a month ahead is a fundamental piece of the YNAB Method. It shifts your money relationship from reactive—waiting for payday, worrying about timing—to intentional. 

Simply put, getting a month ahead means having all your expenses for the month fully covered before the next month even begins. Rent? Covered. Groceries? Already assigned. That streaming subscription you keep meaning to cancel? Yep, that too.

Instead of waiting for money to arrive, it’s already there. Instead of reacting to your finances, you’re in control of them. 

Even if you’re not living paycheck to paycheck, getting a month ahead gives you clarity, confidence, and peace of mind. Because the end of second guessing isn’t about having enough. It’s about knowing you have enough.

“For someone with high anxiety, being a month ahead took 80% of the stress out of money.”
-YNABer

That’s the power of getting a month ahead. And now, you can see your progress right inside YNAB.

How it works—Now built right into YNAB

The moment you assign your first dollar in a future month, YNAB will start tracking your progress automatically.

• On iOS, you’ll see a section called “Assigned in Future Months” in the Spotlight area of your Spending Plan.
• On the web app, this section appears in the Inspector.
• And fear not, Android is on the way.

Once you fully fund the month, you’ll see a satisfying check mark that lets you know you did it. 

(It’s the grown-up version of a gold star.)

How do you get there?

So how do you get there? Each time you’re paid and assigning your dollars in YNAB, ask yourself:

“What can I set aside for next month’s spending?”

Once this month’s expenses are covered, any extra dollars can start funding next month’s spending. Even if it’s just a small amount at first, each dollar moves you closer to your goal.

The good news? You don’t have to do it overnight. The first month, you might be able to assign $10 toward next month. Over time, those small amounts add up, and eventually, you’ll reach the point where you have an entire month’s worth of spending covered before the new month even begins.

You only need to save it once

Here’s the best part: once you’re fully funded a month ahead, you never have to do it again.

Every paycheck you earn replenishes your month-ahead buffer. Your money is always waiting for your bills—not the other way around.

That means no more paycheck-to-paycheck stress. You’ve broken the cycle for good! 

Meet Jake, a month ahead master

Let’s break it down with an example.

Jake’s total monthly expenses—both recurring and irregular—add up to $5,000. To get a full month ahead, he needs to save that first $5,000.

At first, it feels impossible. But every time he gets paid, he sets a little aside for next month.

• First paycheck: $50
• Second paycheck: $200
• A few months later: His rent is covered a month in advance.
• A year later: He’s a full month ahead.

And then, he never has to do it again. 

Now, every paycheck he earns goes toward next month. He doesn’t have to time bills around paydays or worry about what’s left in his checking account. He’s covered, always.

Make the most of this feature: Add targets

If you really want to take this feature to the next level, set funding targets for your categories.

Adding targets helps you:

• Stay focused on your goal of getting a full month ahead
• See a clear progress bar as you assign money to next month
• Get the most out of this feature with helpful insights

Without targets, you’ll still see the total amount assigned in future months, but you won’t see the full picture. 

Set your targets, track your progress, and experience the peace of knowing your money is always ahead of you, rolling out the red carpet toward your goals before you even take the first step.

Your first month ahead starts now

Getting a month ahead isn’t just a milestone. It’s a shift in how you experience money.

It gives you the time and space to make spending decisions on your terms, no matter what unexpected expenses come along. Instead of scrambling to cover costs, you’ll be spending money you’ve already set aside. And now, with this new visibility in YNAB, you have a clear, motivating way to track your progress and reach that goal.

“I broke the paycheck to paycheck cycle, so now I don’t have to time my grocery spending and my bills based on when the paycheck will land. I used to view my balance as money available to spend, but now I am motivated to see my savings grow.”
-Shirley B.

Whether you’re just starting to put money toward next month or you’re pushing to get even further ahead, every step moves you closer to financial stability and peace of mind. The best part? Once you get there, you stay there.

We’re here to help you every moment of pride, deeper breath, and sigh of relief along the way.

Start tracking your progress today and see how quickly small steps turn into something monumental: getting a month ahead. Try YNAB free for 34 days!

YNAB IRL

JanaLee P. wrote in about the power of being able to see the big picture.

Before we found YNAB, we couldn’t understand why we kept failing. We’d set our “budget” and then go about our spending. Then, at the end of the month, we’d look back and see how we did. We failed every month. We would end up in overdraft, arguing about whose fault it was, and why was it always the groceries that caused all the trouble?
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Once we found YNAB, there were no more overdraft months. We realized the problem: we weren’t being intentional with our spending. We weren’t weighing those options – if I say yes to this, what am I saying no to – and making the trade-offs to get our spending in line with our priorities.

With YNAB, I could stop taking the calculator to the store. We could see the whole picture of our money, make adjustments and focus on our priorities. We paid off our first home 20 years early. We then bought land and built our dream house, which we paid off 24 years early! 
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More recently, my husband was able to walk away from a company he’d worked for for 21 years, take four months off to reset himself and play with the family. Then take a much lower paying job, and we are still just fine. 
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This feeling of being able to have the big picture, spend with intention and in line with our personal priorities cannot be beat! Spendfulness means (to me) knowing we are financially prepared for whatever life might bring our way. Instead of spending money blindly, we spend time together intentionally.

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