Simple Monthly Budget Spreadsheet for Beginners

Who it’s for

It’s made for anyone starting a budget for the first time, or coming back to one after a big spreadsheet felt like too much.

Five numbers tell you where you stand: income received, bills paid, spending, left over, and left to plan. Categories come with suggestions, and you can rename anything.

What’s inside, tab by tab

Start Here

Three steps, one colour rule (yellow cells are where you type) and quick answers.

Budget

A month picker, up to 6 income sources (expected vs received), up to 15 bills with due day and a paid checklist for all 12 months, up to 14 spending categories with a budget, what’s left and a progress bar, and the whole year by month with two charts.

Spending Log

One list for purchases and money received (1,000 rows), with a check column that flags mistakes.

Excel and Google Sheets

The workbook is an .xlsx file that opens in Excel 2010 or later, Excel for Mac and LibreOffice. For Google Sheets, open Google_Sheets_Links.pdf and click the link to make your own copy, or upload the .xlsx to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. Formulas and dropdowns carry over; Google redraws the charts, so they can look slightly different. The quick-start guide walks you through it. Type your own currency symbol on Setup and the whole workbook uses it.

There are no macros and nothing to install. Every formula uses only functions that Excel and Google Sheets share, and before release the workbook was filled with an invented household and checked by 89 automated tests. Apple Numbers can open the file but isn’t supported.

How delivery works

You buy on Etsy, with Etsy’s checkout and buyer protection. As soon as payment goes through, the download is ready on your Etsy Purchases page and Etsy emails you a link. You get one ZIP file containing:

• Monthly_Budget_Planner.xlsx (blank, with suggested categories)
• Monthly_Budget_Planner_Example.xlsx (filled in for an invented household)
• Quick_Start_Guide.pdf (3 pages)
• Google_Sheets_Links.pdf

Nothing is shipped. Because it’s a digital file, Etsy returns don’t apply, but if something isn’t working, send a message through the shop and we’ll help put it right.

Not financial advice. The workbook helps you plan and track your own money.

Read the guide

How to budget with irregular income. When your pay changes every month, a normal monthly budget breaks the first time a lean month arrives. The fix is to budget from your worst month, not your average, and let the good months build a buffer.