Using a budget template in Google Sheets is important in precisely tracking and managing income and expenses. Get a copy of our simple budget template in Google Sheets here.
Select File > Make a copy.
Follow the steps below to create a Google Sheets budget template.
Click on "Untitled spreadsheet" at the top. Type in "Monthly Budget" or any name you prefer and hit Enter. In the first column (A), list your budget categories. Start with "Income" at the top, then add expense categories such as "Rent," "Utilities," "Groceries," etc., beneath it.
Next to your categories in Column B, add a column for dates, and in Column C, a column for amounts. Label them "Date" and "Amount" respectively at the top.
Under each category in the Amount column (C), enter the budgeted amounts for the month. Leave the Date column (B) empty for now; it's for recording actual expense dates. As expenses occur, record the date of each expense in the Date column next to the relevant category. Enter the actual amount spent in the Amount column.
At the bottom of the Amount column, use the SUM function to calculate total budgeted and actual expenses. Click on the cell where you want the total, type "=SUM(", select the cells with the amounts, and press Enter.
In a new column, compare your budgeted amounts to your actual expenses. This can be done by subtracting the actual expense from the budgeted amount for each category.
Review your budget at the month's end. If actual spending exceeds budgeted amounts in certain categories, consider adjusting either your budget or spending habits.
For subsequent months, you can create a new sheet within the same spreadsheet or duplicate the current sheet and update with new budgeted amounts. This practice helps track your budget over time.
Here are more free budget templates that you can use depending on your preferences.
A Google Sheets tool for tracking daily spending and monthly budgeting. It helps you keep an eye on your monthly expenditure limit and aggregate spending.
Offers a balance sheet and monthly budget tracker, accessible anywhere with Google Sheets app.
Designed for monthly income and expense tracking to help you understand where your money goes.
Offers techniques for building budget templates in Google Sheets, including tips for financial formulas.
A comprehensive template for creating and customizing your budget.
Ensures the difference between your income and expenses equals zero each month.
In-depth template for tracking various wedding expenses, including ceremonies, reception, and photography.
Tracks remodeling costs against your budget, updating the remaining balance with each transaction.
Utilizes the "Debt Snowball Method" for prioritizing and paying off debts.
Simplifies money management and saving goals.
Ideal for businesses to track finances yearly, with a breakdown of expenses and income.
Covers all major spending categories for a broad financial overview.
A straightforward tracker for monthly expenses, making budget management easier.
Tailored for semester-based income and expense planning for students.
Includes a Google form for on-the-go transaction recording and categorization.
Ideal for tracking business trip expenses, customizable for various needs.
Allows for detailed monthly income and expense entries for family finances.
For tracking and planning monthly spending throughout the year.
A customizable income and expense dashboard for monthly financial tracking.
Designed for tracking quarterly purchases, available in Google Sheets and Excel .
A more comprehensive version for quarterly expense management, available in Google Sheets and Excel.
We hope that you now have a better understanding of how to create a Google Sheets budget template and use our free Google Sheets budget template. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our article on how to insert infinity symbols in Google Sheets or our article on setting up Google Sheets invoice template.
