Put that number in the Income column of your worksheet next to the total budget amount from the previous step.Ĭompare your total budget figure with the sum of your paychecks. Looking at your online bank again, find all of your paychecks from the last month and add them up. Now, you’ll need to make sure that what you’re budgeting for makes sense with your income. So far, you’ve filled in your Category and Budget columns. Then enter that figure at the bottom of the Budget column. Once you’ve done that, add up all of the budgets to see the total amount you’re budgeting for. Tally up the total spending for the transactions in each category and then enter that number into the Budget column next to its corresponding Category. Now that you’ve sorted your spending into categories, the next step is to figure out how much you should budget for each one. Step 3: Tally up your spending to determine your budget

Once you’ve categorized all of the transactions, move on to the next step. You can always come back and add more as they come up. You’ll probably also need categories for things like Bills, Groceries, Rent or Mortgage. For example, if you see frequent purchases at restaurants, add Eating Out to a cell under the Category column in your worksheet. Next, start creating categories based on patterns or trends you see. Start by logging into your online bank account and filtering the results to see your spending from the most recent full month. In this step, you’ll use your past spending habits to help determine the Category names you should track in your budget worksheet. Step 2: Use past spending to name the Categories in your budget worksheet At the minimum, you’ll need a Category, Budget and Income column, but you can track other metrics you think will be helpful for you. Once you’ve made your document, create some columns. If you like the cloud syncing abilities of Google Sheets, use that. We’ll be using our budget software, Goodbudget, to demonstrate the next steps, but you’ll start by choosing the spreadsheet program you want to use. Step 1: Create your budget worksheet document Here are some steps to help you create a simple budget worksheet. If you’re considering a budget worksheet as a means to create a budget you can stick with, you’ve come to the right place.

If you don’t have a budget, it’s difficult to make sure you’re staying within the limits of your income or to know whether or not you’re accomplishing your financial goals.

Simple budgeting worksheet