if you are willing to do some manual work (putting every transaction by yourself)
So it won't track your bank transactions automatically? If I have to enter transactions manually what's the point of the software? I could do this on paper..
It does support track the bank transactions. but I don't recommend it, since by entering transactions, you will realize how much you'd spend in your budget to the category.
You could do it on paper. and carry it in your pocket all the way. There's no difference in terms of managing transactions. But you could be easily loose the track of your budget in my opinion.
YNAB helps you to keep remind the budget. That is the key for me to keep using YNAB.
I don't use YNAB, but instead a homegrown budgeting site for my family, and always recommend entering everything yourself.
The bank account scrapping can take a few days for a transaction to clear, so you never know what your actual spending looks like for that day/week. And, like you said, it forces you to at least recognize spending.
