Along with budgeting for annual expenses and retirement, I highly recommend setting more money aside for extra savings. There are suggestions in the note on the budget category* cell. There is room for eight additional fixed monthly costs. If you don’t contribute to a 401k or typically receive any extra monthly income, enter $0. Follow the orange colored cells as cues for which part to fill out next. In the top left box on the Config tab, enter your income. Remember, cells with an asterisk(*) mean there is a note on that cell with more information. How to Use My Google Sheets Budget Template If you’re stuck and need more info to get going, read on to get the details. There are simple and clear instructions with extra notes on cells that have an asterisk(*) - just hover over those cells to the see note. If you want to try my Google Sheets budget template, make a copy of it and try it out. A good budget system will create a change in your behavior. On less of things I care little about, and more on the things I care a lot about.Ī bad budget system only shows you where your money is going.

I can customize it exactly the way I need to actually help me spend my money more thoughtfully.

But these apps don’t really help me spend less money - they just tell me where I spend my money and try to guess (poorly) the category.Īnd that’s why I love budgets built on spreadsheets. Most of my friends use a budgeting app like Mint and I’ve tried them, too. After budgeting money for savings and annual expenses, you can budget your discretionary spending, guilt-free.

Basic budget spreadsheet template