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Free Monthly Budget & Expense Planner (Excel & Google Sheets)

A budget only works if you can see, at any moment, what you planned and what you've actually spent. This free planner does exactly that: set your income and a plan for each category, log what you spend, and it shows planned versus actual, what's left in each category, and whether you're on track to hit your savings goal.

Download free — Excel (.xlsx) ↓Opens in Excel or Google Sheets · no sign-up

What's inside

Planned vs actual per category, with progress bars
Income, budgeted, spent and money-left at a glance
Savings-goal check against what's actually left
Category dropdown; overspends flag red
Works on your phone via Google Sheets

The tabs

Start Here (guide)
Budget
Expenses
Dashboard

Yellow cells only. You type in the yellow cells; the rest are locked formulas. Gridlines are off and it prints clean on A4.

The Budget tab holds your income and a plan per category, with progress bars that fill as you spend. The Expenses tab is a simple log — date, category (dropdown), amount — and every expense flows back to update Spent, Left and % Used on the Budget tab. Overspend a category and it flags red.

The Dashboard gives you the four numbers that matter: income, budgeted, spent and money left, plus your savings goal and what you're actually on track to save. It opens in Excel or Google Sheets — keep it on your phone and log spending as you go.

Building savings or clearing a loan on top of budgeting? Our free savings and debt-payoff calculators help you set a target and a timeline.

Do it online instead

Explore our free money tools

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Frequently asked questions

Is this budget planner free and does it work in Google Sheets?

Yes on both. Download it free and open it in Excel, or upload it to Google Drive and use it in Google Sheets — the dropdowns, formulas and progress bars all carry over, so you can budget from your phone.

How does the savings goal work?

Enter a savings goal for the month. The planner compares it to what's actually left after your spending (income − total spent), so you can see at a glance whether you're on track or need to cut a category.

Can I rename the categories?

Yes. Change any category name on the Budget tab and the Expenses dropdown follows automatically, so your categories always match how you actually spend.

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