A simple template to run your monthly budget in Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice: enter what you planned and what actually happened for each income and expense, and the formulas work out the differences, the totals and what you have left at the end of the month.
What is in it
- Income: salary and other income.
- Expenses: rent or mortgage, utilities, phone and internet, groceries, transport, insurance, subscriptions, leisure, savings and other.
- Planned, actual and difference columns, with totals.
- What you have left at month end, planned and actual.
How to use it
- At the start of the month, fill in "Planned" with what you expect to earn and pay.
- As charges arrive, enter the amount in "Actual".
- "Difference" shows where you went off plan.
- Duplicate the sheet for each new month.
For a starting point on splitting your pay, see the 50/30/20 rule.