Free Monthly Personal Budget Spreadsheet
Plan income and expenses by category, track actuals vs budget, and see what’s left each month.
What this is
A simple monthly budget sheet for people who want clarity without a full finance app. Track what you planned to spend, what you actually spent, and the gap — category by category — so mid-month surprises show up early.
Best for
- Households budgeting paycheck to paycheck
- Anyone restarting a budget after a messy month
- Couples who want one shared spending view
What’s included
- Category, Budgeted, Actual, Difference, and Notes columns
- Sample income and expense rows you can replace
- A Difference pattern you can formula-ize in Sheets/Excel
Preview
| Category | Budgeted | Actual | Difference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | 4200 | 4200 | 0 | Primary income |
| Side project | 350 | 280 | -70 | Variable |
| Rent | 1400 | 1400 | 0 | |
| Utilities | 160 | 148 | 12 | |
| Groceries | 400 | 385 | 15 | |
| Transport | 120 | 98 | 22 | |
| Dining out | 180 | 240 | -60 | Over — cut next month |
| Subscriptions | 75 | 75 | 0 | After audit |
| Savings | 500 | 500 | 0 | Auto-transfer |
| Buffer | 200 | 0 | 200 | Unspent yet |
How to use
- Open the CSV in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers.
- Replace sample amounts with your real income and bills.
- Update Actual weekly; Difference = Budgeted − Actual.
- Add rows for every recurring category you care about.
Tips
- Update Actual once a week from your bank export — not every purchase.
- Keep 8–12 categories max at the start; split later only if needed.
- Put Savings and Debt payments above lifestyle categories.
FAQ
Excel or Google Sheets?
Both. Download the CSV, then File → Import in Google Sheets or open directly in Excel/Numbers.
Should Difference be a formula?
Yes — set Difference = Budgeted − Actual so it updates when you change numbers.