Best Budget Spreadsheet for 2024! - What Mommy Does (2024)

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Searching for the best household budget spreadsheet template to use this year? Well, you have found it!

In this post, I’d like to discuss and recommend the best Excel budget planner I have found to manage your finances in 2024 and forward in 2025!

If you are ready to really take control of your money this year, you will want to use a family budget planner to do so.

This little document will seriously rock your wallet! It will give you all the information you need to save money, pay off debt, and live a more financially free life.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE PERFECT FAMILY BUDGET TEMPLATE

(or keep reading to learn all the reasons why I love this resource!)

Best Budget Spreadsheet for 2024! - What Mommy Does (1)

Why Should I Use a Household Budgeting Spreadsheet?

You may be thinking, “If I just carry cash or keep my checkbook register up to date, I don’t really need a budget planner…”

I hate to break it to you, but you are likely wrong!

Even when you are working to control where your money is going, having a spreadsheet to see the BIG PICTURE is insanely helpful.

Because even if you are carrying cash, you may find it leaves your wallet faster than it should.

Or, even if you budget your personal checkbook every day, you may still be spending too much. This happens to me ALL. THE. TIME.

Having a spreadsheet tracking all of your income and expenses for you gives you the exact blueprint you need to start saving more money.

When you create a budget, you are getting maximum control over your cash flow. You will know where every penny should go, so that you don’t overspend or splurge when you have bills to pay!

Once you set it up, it’s really easy to maintain.

Isn’t Cash Budgeting Just as Good?

I get it – using a budget spreadsheet is just about the most boring thing in the world! And it’s not tangible.

Using a cash envelope system seems like a good idea because you’re either getting results (sticking to the cash in your envelopes) or not (you have to dip into cash reserves to meet expenses).

But here’s the thing – a cash system is based on physical restraint. It’s good for the short term, but what happens later on when you have MORE money and MORE expenses to account for? You need a better system than an envelope can provide!

KNOWING the big picture and acting accordingly is how you get on track with your finances and move to building wealth. Starting with a budgeting system like this that can grow with you is the only way to go.

Best Budget Spreadsheet for 2024! - What Mommy Does (2)

Benefits of a Well-Designed Excel Budget Planner

When you start with a properly formatted budgeting template, your work is over half way done. I chose this budget template because it meets ALL of these criteria!

  • Simple to use. Imagine a budgeting routine where you only spend half an hour (yes, 30 minutes!) working on your finances. You sit down one evening a month, discuss the bills and income with your spouse, then put it all away to spend more time with your family. So simple.
  • Helps save you money. The best budget spreadsheet is one that is designed to show you exactly where your money is going each month. That way, you can learn where you need to make cuts. Turn it into a challenge, seeing how much you can save by cutting expenses!
  • Project your future cashflow. Knowing how much money you will have in the bank down the line is a great way to have more peace of mind when it comes to finances. Fear of the unknown is a real thing, but if you can see your projected cashflow for 6, 12, or even 18 months into the future, wouldn’t you feel better about your money situation?!
  • Eliminate the money overwhelm. Sitting down to pay your bills can be a daunting process – especially if you aren’t sure you have the money in the bank to cover them. However, using a Google budget tracker makes it easy to take away all the stress related to keeping your bills current every month.

All of improves your long term financial future and your net worth.

I’ve Found the Best Budget Spreadsheet of 2023!

As I said at the beginning, I have discovered an Excel budget planner that will work wonders on your finances.

You can actually use this family budget planner in Google sheets, making it easy to access anywhere, anytime. And you could give your spouse access to the spreadsheet so no one can claim they didn’t know what was in the budget!

With this household budgeting spreadsheet, you only need to spend 30 minutes per month working on the family finances in order to develop an effective budget.

It will give you the peace of mind that you are covered, in the event an unexpected expense should arise.

Think about it, do you really want to worry about the medical bills if you son falls and breaks a bone? Or if your daughter suddenly comes down with pneumonia?

This budget spreadsheet will give you the ability to focus on the things that matter the most. It also frees up your time spent calculating, tracking, and figuring out the budget for the month so you have more time with your loved ones.

Grab this Amazing Budget Spreadsheet NOW!

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Lena

I'm a CPA turned SAHM of 3 kids ages 12, 14, and 16. I'm a mommy by day, blogger by night. Join me as I write about fun kids activities, family finances, and losing 50 lbs after baby #3.

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FAQs

How do I create a future budget in Excel? ›

How to create a budget in Excel manually
  1. Create budget headers. After opening Excel, include your budget's column names. ...
  2. Enter the expenses, costs, and income. Include your estimated expenses or costs in the created columns. ...
  3. Calculate the balance. ...
  4. Create visualizations.
Feb 12, 2024

How do I make a yearly budget spreadsheet? ›

How to create a budget spreadsheet
  1. Choose a spreadsheet program or template.
  2. Create categories for income and expense items.
  3. Set your budget period (weekly, monthly, etc.).
  4. Enter your numbers and use simple formulas to streamline calculations.
  5. Consider visual aids and other features.

Is there an Excel template for budget? ›

DIY with the Personal budget template

This Excel template can help you track your monthly budget by income and expenses. Input your costs and income, and any difference is calculated automatically so you can avoid shortfalls or make plans for any projected surpluses.

How do I organize my budget spreadsheet? ›

  1. Choose Your Software and Template. Excel and Google Sheets are the most commonly used spreadsheet programs, but if you have a MacBook, you can also use the Numbers app. ...
  2. Calculate Your Income. ...
  3. Categorize Your Expenses. ...
  4. Decide How Often to Update Your Budget. ...
  5. Enter Your Numbers. ...
  6. Maintain and Stick to Your Budget.
Jan 31, 2024

How do I make a good budget spreadsheet in Excel? ›

  1. Step 1: Download the Excel budget template. The first thing you need to do is to download the budget template. ...
  2. Step 2: Enter your income in your budget template. To enter your income, go to the "Income" sheet. ...
  3. Step 3: Enter your expenses in your budget template. ...
  4. Step 4: Add extra columns to your budget template.
Nov 14, 2023

How do you create a future budget? ›

Follow the steps below as you set up your own, personalized budget:
  1. Make a list of your values. Write down what matters to you and then put your values in order.
  2. Set your goals.
  3. Determine your income. ...
  4. Determine your expenses. ...
  5. Create your budget. ...
  6. Pay yourself first! ...
  7. Be careful with credit cards. ...
  8. Check back periodically.

How do you make a simple expense spreadsheet? ›

In short, the steps to create an expense sheet are:
  1. Choose a template or expense-tracking software.
  2. Edit the columns and categories (such as rent or mileage) as needed.
  3. Add itemized expenses with costs.
  4. Add up the total.
  5. Attach or save your corresponding receipts.
  6. Print or email the report.
Apr 1, 2024

Is there a free budget template? ›

Google Sheets has plenty of budget templates and spreadsheets to choose from, and unlike Microsoft Office, it's free with your Gmail account. If you love looking at the numbers and tracking every last penny, then a Google Sheets budget spreadsheet will be perfect for you.

Does Google Sheets have a budget template? ›

Once your Google account is set up, you can explore the wide variety of budget templates available in Google Sheets. These templates are designed to suit different financial needs and preferences. Here are a few types of budget templates you can find: Monthly budget.

What is the 50 30 20 rule? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

What is the best chart for a budget? ›

A visual aid, like a pie chart, can be useful to see how much you're spending and where your money is going. Using a budgeting pie chart to scrutinize your expenses, rather than numbers on a spreadsheet, makes money allocations easier to interpret.

What is the easiest way to keep track of a budget? ›

Read on for five ideas to try.
  1. Open separate bank accounts. If you're a visual person, compartmentalizing your money may help you track your spending. ...
  2. Download an app. ...
  3. Label envelopes. ...
  4. Break out the pen and paper. ...
  5. Create a spreadsheet.

What are the 5 steps in preparing a budget worksheet? ›

How to Make a Budget in 5 Steps
  1. Step 1: List Your Income. ...
  2. Step 2: List Your Expenses. ...
  3. Step 3: Subtract Expenses From Income. ...
  4. Step 4: Track Your Transactions (All Month Long) ...
  5. Step 5: Make a New Budget Before the Month Begins.
Jan 4, 2024

What is the best way to budget monthly? ›

50/30/20 rule: One popular rule of thumb for building a budget is the 50/30/20 budget rule, which states that you should allocate 50 percent of your income toward needs, 30 percent toward wants and 20 percent for savings. How you allocate spending within these categories is up to you.

How do you forecast future cash flows in Excel? ›

How to Build a Cash Flow Forecast in Microsoft Excel
  1. Step 1: List the Business Drivers.
  2. Step 2: Create a Monthly Cash Flow Model.
  3. Step 3: Use Simple Excel Formulas.
  4. Step 4: Summarise Cash Flow Projections.
  5. Step 5: Forecast Equity Financing Requirement.
  6. Step 6: Calculate Enterprise Value.
Sep 14, 2020

What is the formula for future annuity in Excel? ›

The basic annuity formula in Excel for present value is =PV(RATE,NPER,PMT). PMT is the amount of each payment. Example: if you were trying to figure out the present value of a future annuity that has an interest rate of 5 percent for 12 years with an annual payment of $1000, you would enter the following formula: =PV(.

What is the forecast function in Excel? ›

What is the FORECAST Function? The FORECAST Function[1] is categorized under Excel Statistical functions. It will calculate or predict a future value using existing values. In financial modeling, the FORECAST function can be useful in calculating the statistical value of a forecast made.

How do I forecast historical data in Excel? ›

How to do sales forecasting in Excel: Step-by-step
  1. Create a new Excel worksheet. Open a new Excel spreadsheet and enter your historical data (sales over time). ...
  2. Create your forecast. Go to the Data tab and find the Forecast Sheet option. ...
  3. Adjust your sales forecast. ...
  4. View your ready sales forecast.
Feb 16, 2023

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