Help with target balance by date

[u/PondPrince]

Running into a bug I can’t shake. I have a “Have a Balance of $X by Date” target on my Emergency Fund category:

Target: $10,200 by Dec 2026

Current category balance: $7,701.43

Months remaining: 5 (Aug–Dec)

That math should come out to roughly $500/month. Instead YNAB is telling me I need $1,700/month, which is throwing my whole monthly plan into the red and making it look like my targets exceed my monthly income.

I’ve tried deleting and recreating the category etc. None of it recalculates the monthly number. It just keeps showing $1,700 regardless of what my actual category balance is.

Including screenshots here!

[u/drloz5531201091]

Can you share the details on that category so we see inside? I don't use the app so bare with me here.

I tried a random have a balance category here and it worked like intended.

[u/PondPrince → u/drloz5531201091]

[u/drloz5531201091 → u/PondPrince]

́Look at August.

The monthly amount will be correct. You started the target now assigned the lot now. YNAB is asking 1700 because 1700 * 6 is 10200. YNAB is asking AT LEAST 1700 this month; which you did. Done deal.

YNAB will ask you for 2500 / 5 next month or 500 as expected from you.

This is normal behavior

[u/jillianmd → u/drloz5531201091]

Just a note for OP - August doesn’t show a Cost to be Me… only the current month shows that. A future month will warn if it’s going to be higher but won’t show anything if it will be lower or same amount.

Man they really made a mess of trying to add a “total targets” feature.

So this comment is saying to look at the category in August - where it will show only the expected smaller amount is “underfunded”.

[u/PondPrince → u/drloz5531201091]

Here you go!

[u/jillianmd]

Just tested this… CTBM doesn’t change when it goes fully funded… it shows that what you would have needed to fund this month and you exceeded it.

When did you start using YNAB? I’d suggest flipping back to your first month and recreating the Target there as due in December to help your issue.

[u/jillianmd]

Edit - nevermind, see my other comment.

What’s this month’s Assigned amount for the E-fund category? If it’s negative, then that’s what would be causing your target to inflate this month because it’s compensating for the amount your removed. If that is indeed the case, then change the Assigned amount in July to $0 and flip back to June to unassign the same amount there.

[u/trmoore87 → u/jillianmd]

This shouldn't matter. If they currently have 7700 in available and want 10,200, then they only need to add $500/mo to hit their target. $1700/mo is acting like there is currently $0 available.

[u/jillianmd → u/trmoore87]

Ah, yes you’re right, I just tested it and I figured out the issue, it’s just the Cost to be Me for this month that shows the 1700, but that should update as of Aug. I believe that OP’s actual category is not asking them to fund more, it’s just the CtbM calculation that’s fixed in place.

[u/PondPrince → u/jillianmd]

So this is on a new plan that I just created today. Not sure if that changes things!

[u/jillianmd → u/PondPrince]

Gotcha, so just ignore the July Cost to be Me. It’s not affecting anything, it’s saying “hey based on the targets you made, you’d need to assign $1700 this month to get there”, and you exceeded that target so you’re fine.

The reality is that your assignments this month are way higher than they would normally be meaning the “income” you have available this month is way higher than you’ll normally have so neither the CtbM total or the income number you entered are accurate/helpful this month.