If you are looking for a comprehensive way to track your income, expenses, debt, and investments then this budget template is definitely worth trying! My husband and I have been tracking our spending and saving with various versions of this budget template in a shared Google sheets document for years and it has helped us save close to 20% of our income NET of taxes, benefits, and 401k contributions.
NOTE: There are TWO versions of this budget document!
In 2017 I introduced a slightly different, more simplifiedBudget Document. If you are not interested in tracking debt or investments then the simplified 2017 template might work well for you! Click here or scroll down to learn more about that template.)
Why use a budget spreadsheet instead of a service like Mint or YNAB?
Mint and YNAB are both super popular digital budgeting resources that have helped thousands of folks organize their spending. I have tried in the past to use Mint as my primary budgeting tool. It’s a great tool for consolidating spending (especially if you have multiple credit cards) but I wanted more control over how I analyzed my expenses. I basically wanted a more flexible UI, which was obviously not an option…
With that said, I now choose to use Mint as a tool in tandem with my budget spreadsheet. I link all of our credit cards, debt, and investments to our Mint account so that all of our expenses can be consolidated into one report.
At the end of each week (or each month, whichever works best for you), I download a report from Mint that lists each income/expense line item during that time-period. This saves me a TON of time because otherwise, I would have to download reports from every single account that we share…
Once I have the Excel report, I sort and copy/paste into the income and expenses sections of my budget template in Google Sheets and review all at once!
How does this budget spreadsheet work?
This budget spreadsheet will organize and track expense categories and subcategories, allow you to view your spending as a comparison to the previous month, track investment growth and progress on any debt you might be paying off (mortgage, student loans, credit card, etc.).
If you are interested in a step-by-step tutorial for how to use and customize this budget template, I recommend watching thistutorial video. It walks you through how to access the Google Spreadsheet template, how it works, how to make customizations, and also how to track investments/debt/net worth.
BUDGET TEMPLATE TUTORIAL VIDEO NOTES:
- How to make a copy of the template – 0:15
- 2018 Summary Tab – 1:24
- Income Summary Tab – 2:10
- Expense Summary Tab – 2:30
- Monthly Tab(s)
- Starting Net Worth and Cash Balance Overview – 2:55
- Income and Expense inputs – 4:45
- Net Worth Summary – 7:05
- Investments & Debt – 8:10
- Customizing Investments & Debt Categories – 10:05
- Accounting for debt – 12:10
- Cash Balance Summary – 17:00
- Customizing Income and Expense Categories
- Changing a Category Name – 19:55
- Deleting a Category or Subcategory – 21:45
- Adding a Category or Subcategory – 23:45
How can I access the budget template?
To get a copy of this budget template spreadsheet, input your email in the form below. By doing so, you will also be opting in to start receiving my weekly newsletter (which you can of course unsubscribe from at ANY time if it isn’t something you’re into). Weekly newsletters include behind the scenes anecdotes, quick tips for living a cleaner/greener/more organized lifestyle, and links to my most recent blog posts.
Remember, what you will receive is a READ-ONLY copy of the template. You must click File > Make a Copy and save it to your own Google Drive before you can start to use it. All of this is explained in detail in the tutorial video.
Didn’t receive the email? Check your spam folder or promotions folder in Gmail 🙂
Already subscribed to my newsletter? That’s awesome! If you still want a copy of this budget template go ahead and input your email and you’ll receive a link directly in your inbox with instructions for how to get started.
Simplified Budget Spreadsheet
In 2017, I created a simplified version of this budget document.This version is also formula driven and all you have to do is input your expense and income line items each month then the spreadsheet will populate the charts and summary tabs automatically for you!
If you want a simpler budgeting spreadsheet that doesn’t track debt, investments, or net worth then check out the video tutorial below to learn more! To access a read-only version of this simplified spreadsheet, sign up with your email below to receive a link directly in your inbox.
Just like with the more advanced google sheets budget document, by entering your email above you will also be opting in to start receiving my weekly newsletter (which you can of course unsubscribe from at ANY time if it isn’t something you’re into). Weekly newsletters include behind the scenes anecdotes, quick tips for living a cleaner/greener/more organized lifestyle, and links to my most recent blog posts.
Remember, what you will receive is a READ-ONLY copy of the template. You must click File > Make a Copy and save it to your own Google Drive before you can start to use it. All of this is explained in detail in the video tutorial below.
Lastly, let me know how it goes! Feel free to leave questions or feedback in the comments below, on the YouTube tutorial video, or via email! Thanks, and happy budgeting 😉
