Free Template
Free expense tracker template
A spreadsheet is a perfectly good place to start tracking expenses. You don't need a fancy template — just the right columns and a consistent category list.
Here's a layout you can recreate in Excel or Google Sheets in a couple of minutes.
Free · No ads · Made in India · Android (iOS coming soon)
Columns to include
A good tracker only needs a few columns. Add these as headers in Excel or Google Sheets:
- Date
- Description / merchant
- Category
- Payment method (cash / UPI / card)
- Amount (₹)
- Notes
Suggested categories
Use a consistent set of categories so your totals mean something. A practical starting set:
- Food & dining
- Groceries
- Transport
- Bills & utilities
- Shopping
- Health
- Entertainment
- Subscriptions
- Other
How to use it
Log each spend on its own row as it happens, pick a category from your list, and total each category at month-end with a SUMIF formula. Keep one sheet per month, or add a Month column and filter.
The catch with spreadsheets is discipline — they only work if you remember to open them.
When you outgrow the spreadsheet
Spreadsheets fall apart the moment you're away from your laptop. Balance is that same tracker on your phone — scan a receipt instead of typing a row, and get the monthly totals automatically. It's free, and you can still export everything back to CSV.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free expense tracker template?
Yes — recreate the simple column layout above in Excel or Google Sheets for free. When manual rows get tedious, Balance does the same tracking on your phone by scanning receipts.
Can I export my data?
Yes. You can export everything to CSV at any time, and you can delete your account and all backups from within the app.
Keep exploring
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