Free Template
Free monthly budget template
A monthly budget template turns a vague plan into concrete numbers. The essentials: your income, a budget per category, and a column for what you actually spend.
Here's a layout to copy into a spreadsheet.
Free · No ads · 140+ currencies · Android (iOS coming soon)
Balance - Expense Tracker by Clarzen on Google Play
Columns to include
A good tracker only needs a few columns. Add these as headers in Excel or Google Sheets:
- Category
- Budgeted
- Actual
- Difference
- Notes
Suggested categories
Use a consistent set of categories so your totals mean something. A practical starting set:
- Rent / housing
- Groceries
- Transport
- Bills & utilities
- EMIs
- Wants (dining, shopping)
- Savings
- 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
Updating 'actual' by hand is where budget spreadsheets die. Balance fills in the actuals automatically as you track, so budget-vs-actual is always live — free, with no bank login.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a monthly budget in Excel?
List your categories, add Budgeted and Actual columns, and use a Difference column (Budgeted − Actual). Balance automates the 'Actual' side by tracking your real spending for you.
What is the 50/30/20 split for a budget?
50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings of your take-home income. Try our free 50/30/20 calculator to get the amounts, then enter them as your budgeted figures.
Keep exploring
Track every expense. Ask anything.
Free to download, no ads, no bank login. Get Balance on Google Play and start tracking in minutes.
