Free Template
Free student budget template
A student budget just needs to keep a tight, mostly cash-and-card budget honest. Skip the complexity — a few categories and a running total do the job.
Here's a lightweight layout for student life.
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:
- Date
- What (merchant)
- Category
- Cash / card / mobile
- Amount
Suggested categories
Use a consistent set of categories so your totals mean something. A practical starting set:
- Food & canteen
- Delivery
- Travel
- Mobile / data
- Subscriptions (split)
- Books & supplies
- Fun
- 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
Between classes, a spreadsheet won't get opened. Balance lives on your phone, is free with no ads, and captures spends by scanning the receipt or payment screenshot — a much better fit for a student day.
Frequently asked questions
How should a student budget their money?
Track cash and card spends in a few simple categories, keep a running total, and watch the biggest one (often food or delivery). Balance does this free on your phone.
Is Balance free?
Yes. Balance is free to download and use, with no ads. Everyday tracking — adding expenses, automatic capture, bills and subscriptions, accounts and CSV export — is free, and it isn't a trial that runs out.
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.
