Another newbie question: handling reimbursements
Another newbie question: handling reimbursements
Hi all, Another newbie question here. I manage our family's cellphone plan, which is $199.90/month for 5 lines (two in our household, 3 from other family members). The other family members reimburse me using Venmo each month.
So, I set up a category with the target amount of $199.90, due on the date that our cell phone bill is due, as per YNAB's recommendations. At the beginning of the month, I assigned $199.90 to that category. Then, when our family members' venmo payments came in, I categorized those as inflows to the cell phone account. Now, waiting for the bill, I see:
- $199.90 in "assigned"
- +$120 in "activity"
- $319.90 in "available"
All of this makes sense to me. But, it seems like now I should be able to re-assign $120 to another category. If I try that, though, it suddenly shows the category as underfunded, despite the fact that I still have $199.90 available.
Am I misunderstanding how assigned / activity / available work? Why, after $120 of inflow, is YNAB still requiring me to keep $199.90 assigned?
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The "needed for spending" doesn’t take activity into account, it only looks at the budgeted money. By moving money out again you take away that money.
- One solution would be to have the payments go straight to "ready to assign" instead (although this screws with your history a bit by making it look like you’re spending all that yourself)
- Or you could change the budget goal to the amount that you pay yourself and let the family transactions fill up the rest. This is what I’m doing, but it has the downside of not having enough if the payments don’t come. If you fill up the first month yourself and let the payments pre-fill for the next this should probably be fine though.
Maybe someone else (or the YNAB support) has a better solution for this, but afaik that’s the only thing you can do.
Setting the budget goal to what you intend to pay yourself is what I would recommend. (just another ynab user though.)
Hmm, yeah - thanks! The first option is what I'd considered, but I wanted to make sure that we were able to see the actual net amount we are paying for our own phones, like you mentioned.
The second idea seems like maybe an ok way to go. Some of the family likes to pay a few months at once (ahead of time) so we would likely always have a buffer. I don't like the risk of being on the hook without budgeted money if someone falls behind, though...
I did reach out to YNAB support. I guess I just don't understand why- as you said- the needed for spending doesn't take the inflows in that category into account. If I wait till the end of the month, I guess that will roll over?
It’s really worded in a way that makes you think that’s what it’s doing, but I guess the problem is if you budget ahead, how should YNAB know if the money is for the current or the next month.
If you want to be 100% sure you have enough you could add an additional "phone buffer" category, but that obviously has its own downside.
Or, alternatively, you just live with the yellow budget.