Why did I pick "Financier" over "nYNAB" ?

[keyboard]

I am comparing both products and was wondering why one would pick one over the other ?   What grabbed your attention about "Financier" ? 

I do like the Double Month Budget Screen a lot.

I am not crazy about the Color Scheme ( I know it's personal but would be nice if we can choose a color ).

I do miss the  "Move $____ to Category______ " from nYNAB. I find it so convenient.

I really like the idea of being involved in the start of a new Product.

 

[Joel]

Five big reasons for me:

1. The ability to enter future-dated transactions that I've already scheduled/committed to.
2. The ability to mark income for next month.
3. Walled off months that prevent you from stealing from the future when making adjustment's to the current month's budget.
4. No stupid Age of Money metric.
5. A giant middle finger to Jesse for abandoning many of his long-time users (to eventually sell the company, in my opinion).

I'm still using YNAB4 until scheduled transactions, ofx import capabilities, and the mobile application are working for Financier though.

[Paul]

Five big reasons for me:

1. The ability to enter future-dated transactions that I've already scheduled/committed to.
2. The ability to mark income for next month.
3. Walled off months that prevent you from stealing from the future when making adjustment's to the current month's budget.
4. No stupid Age of Money metric.
5. A giant middle finger to Jesse for abandoning many of his long-time users (to eventually sell the company, in my opinion).

I'm still using YNAB4 until scheduled transactions, ofx import capabilities, and the mobile application are working for Financier though.

Wot he said (but not 5.!)

[Billy_McSkintos]

Ditto Joel but add in that it wasn't worth the cost and their support was non-responsive. I also feel as if it is a more collaborative relationship with Alex to build the application by voicing opinions and by subscribing. I like being part of it.

@keyboard Have you looked at the posts to tweak the color scheme? Its pretty simple.

[asromzek]

Joel's comments echo my own for the most part.

YNAB pushed out a product that had key functionality removed, the stuff that made YNAB4 a simple and solid budgeting tool (walled months, red arrow, future dated transactions). The also added a bunch of fluff that I didn't need or want (direct import, age of money, new credit card handling). They did get a few things right with faster syncing, move money tool, and goals, but it wasn't enough to overcome the other issues. Their general attitude toward their customers changed significantly as well, and not for the better in my opinion. It's sad because I was really optimistic given their track record with YNAB3/YNAB4.

I realized about half way through last year that I was definitely not in their target market anymore, along with a lot of other longtime users. I wasn't too far off reverting to YNAB4 when I found Financier. It was like a breath of fresh air, and I have had no regrets since switching.

[keyboard]

Ditto Joel but add in that it wasn't worth the cost and their support was non-responsive. I also feel as if it is a more collaborative relationship with Alex to build the application by voicing opinions and by subscribing. I like being part of it.

@keyboard Have you looked at the posts to tweak the color scheme? Its pretty simple.

Can you elaborate more on the "Tweaking Color Scheme" Please ?

[RPNnerd]

Walled months, walled months, walled months.  Red Arrow.  Scheduled transactions.  Feature rich/feature friendly for various work flows.


I have a big screen at home and I'm not seeing 2 months -- I'm seeing 7 or 8.  Do I need to see that many?  No.  But seeing 3-4 is extremely helpful.

It's not just seeing them but working with them.  I am over 1.5 months buffered.  On the 15th I'll have March's budget completely filled.  The numbers for filling the categories are already there-- I'm making decisions with unexpected income (a bonus, etc.) in the present in anticipation of the future.  I have fairly regular income currently and have filled in the majority of the walled months for the year.  Yes, April and beyon have big ugly red numbers in them-- the only big pain is that my cable bill shifted and I had to reenter the majority of the months (or at least a few ahead to keep my eye on the estimated budgets for the next few months with expected bills and dole out).

I can keep the zero sum budget on the current month and make decisions this month.  I can complete the budget next month and be ready to spend from it when the date rolls over-- but I'm kept honest with the spending on the categories this month.

Seeing the future helps me look to the future with the walled months.  I avoid spending future money but having the visibility for "expected" and "accumulated" categories to see if I'm hitting my targets is hugely valuable-- perhaps the goals in nYNAB would work-- they weren't there when I was exposed to a single month nYNAB early product (or they were in infancy but I was so blown away by lack of walled months my first reaction was "where's my stuff!?").

nYNAB is not focused on features-- it is focused on a specific usage.  And it isn't mine. 

I used to be pretty sloppy on reimbursements.  But now I can handle them in a timely matter and as I look at my budget daily it shouts at me that I haven't sent or received reimbursement-- the category is red.  Since I'm buffered and accounts are healthy I'm not bothered by it being red or feel I'm dishonest on actual money.  It's red because I need to do something for that specific category and that doesn't affect the rest of my plans nor spending.

I'm all in for adoption of financier-- it seems faster and I too like the customizations (not there yet with trying them out but I will be).  Features and options for viewing and work flow are signfiicant.  Each budget is different.  What nYNAB did is practically equivalent to having locked pre-set categories.  Can you make your budget work with predefined categories that you can't customize? Probably.  Would it feel like "your budget"?  No... it would feel like you're a part of their budget and robotted into it.  BOX ME IN?  No thank you.

I think I covered the bulk of the key reasons    

My workflow is not your workflow-- but we can share ideas and approaches and learn from each other and modify each our own (without workarounds the tool may require).

I've become a huge fan of zero sum budget.  I was a huge fan of YNAB4.  I'm still using it until features are available with financier. 

[keyboard]

Ditto Joel but add in that it wasn't worth the cost and their support was non-responsive. I also feel as if it is a more collaborative relationship with Alex to build the application by voicing opinions and by subscribing. I like being part of it.

@keyboard Have you looked at the posts to tweak the color scheme? Its pretty simple.

Yupper !   I looked at it, and I am glad I did..... Worked !!!!!  and now I like the color scheme.......

[Paul]

Walled months, walled months, walled months.  Red Arrow.  Scheduled transactions.  Feature rich/feature friendly for various work ........What nYNAB did is practically equivalent to having locked pre-set categories.  Can you make your budget work with categories that you can't customize? Probably.  Would it feel like "your budget"?  No... it would feel like you're a part of their budget and robotted into it.  BOX ME IN?  No thank you.

I'm full time Financier since 1 Feb. In fairness to nYNAB though I found the Catrgories to be completely customisable - and I could override their treatment of credit cards if I wanted to.

[RPNnerd]

Walled months, walled months, walled months.  Red Arrow.  Scheduled transactions.  Feature rich/feature friendly for various work ........What nYNAB did is practically equivalent to having locked pre-set categories.  Can you make your budget work with categories that you can't customize? Probably.  Would it feel like "your budget"?  No... it would feel like you're a part of their budget and robotted into it.  BOX ME IN?  No thank you.

I'm full time Financier since 1 Feb. In fairness to nYNAB though I found the Catrgories to be completely customisable - and I could override their treatment of credit cards if I wanted to.

Hi Paul, thanks for the comment.

I wasn't trying to say that nYNAB was boxed in with category choices.  I was trying to provide an analogy of how the features are more limited than financier and YNAB4 such that if one only had used nYNAB they may not be aware of the lack of features.  So I took an extreme example to give an idea of how "boxed in" or "handcuffed" nYNAB can feel--  I used the idea of limited categories and inflexibility.  That's how it feels to me without walled months once I've gotten used to them and the lack of a red arrow and the lack of future transactions being in the budget immediately.  These features have become such a part of my usage that taking them away makes  me feel like I've also been boxed in without customization of categories.  Taking away that option would have just piled on more of a sense of "this isn't for me... what else is there?"

And I already have a large sense of that-- as soon as I beta tried nYNAB I felt that way and wrote that note "when will we get the multimonth view?".  That's ancient history as it became evident they were headed in a very different view and restricted feature/use model.

I'm not just wailing against nYNAB here.  I'm expressing how the change was so contrary to the features I had expected and the view that I have become so used to. 

It may seem like a small thing but it's pretty huge--- to be trapped into the current month and sloppy work arounds to get to give the next month or beyond but still only one month at a time just feels so crippling after being able to scope out and begin to see how actions today impact the future.  I can now plan for the future in ways my pre zero sum budget never allowed.  I'm making financial plans and have made and met goals.  It's going so well I want to keep working the features that have gotten me into this mindset and capability.

It's a pretty big thing for me.  But I didn't go around the YNAB forums excessively complaining-- I made a voice when it was asked.

Here we've got a new question on a new forum and it's a great one for someone who only has known nYNAB--- "welcome to features!"   

[Paul]

@RPNnerd Thanks for clarifying! I stayed with nYNAB for 12 months because I could not find anything better (that also had a future)  - and I looked hard!

[zielperson]

Five big reasons for me:

1. The ability to enter future-dated transactions that I've already scheduled/committed to.
2. The ability to mark income for next month.
3. Walled off months that prevent you from stealing from the future when making adjustment's to the current month's budget.
4. No stupid Age of Money metric.
5. A giant middle finger to Jesse for abandoning many of his long-time users (to eventually sell the company, in my opinion).

Everything but 3 is true for me.
For whatever reason, but the lack of future-dated transactions infuriates me.
On ipad, I can't even ENTER them! Online, the amount won't be deducted!

::zielperson::

[mizlandry]

I used YNAB for YEARS until they changed their online version so you couldn't run a negative balance! Killed my relationship with them. That's when I found financier! I love it. I have a few suggestions to add, but it's exactly what I need!