THE MONTHLY FIELD NOTES /09
Monthly budget template.
A free Excel spreadsheet to track income, fixed bills and daily spending, and see what is left to spend. No sign-up or email, and it works in Google Sheets too.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Download it, fill in the white cells and see what is left.
It is a three-sheet .xlsx file with no macros that opens in Excel, LibreOffice, Numbers or Google Sheets. You enter what you earn, the bills you must pay and what you spend day to day; formulas calculate the rest.
The download is direct: we do not ask for an email or any data. It is a manual spreadsheet, so it is only as useful as you keep it up to date.
DOWNLOAD
Monthly budget template (Excel, .xlsx)
Free, no sign-up. About 10 KB, no macros.
Download Excel templateHow to use it in Google Sheets
- Download the .xlsx file.
- In Google Sheets choose File → Import → Upload and select the file (or upload it to your Drive and open it with Google Sheets).
- Under "Import location" choose "Create new spreadsheet". Formulas and dropdown lists are kept.
The Google Sheets copy lives in your own account; we never see it. If some visual formatting changes on import, the calculations are not affected.
WHAT IS INSIDE
Three sheets, all formula-driven.
- Month
- Income (6 rows), fixed bills with amount, paid and remaining (20 rows) and daily spending with date, description and category (60 rows). "Left to spend" stays visible at the top: income minus fixed bills and daily spending.
- Categories
- 12 ready-made categories (housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, health and more) that feed the dropdown lists. Rename them and add up to 30 more; each one has a type for the 50/30/20 rule.
- Summary
- Totals per category (using SUMIF) across fixed and daily, share of your income, and your month compared with the 50/30/20 rule: needs, wants and savings, with the gap against each target.
STEP BY STEP
How to use it each month in 15 minutes.
Copy the file for the month
Save one copy per month (for example "budget-november.xlsx") to keep a history.
Enter your income
Add your paycheck and other income on the Month sheet. If your income varies, enter only what you have already received or the minimum you can count on.
List your fixed bills
Rent, utilities, loan payments and subscriptions: name, category and amount. As you pay, fill in "Paid"; "Remaining" calculates itself, which also helps with partial payments.
Log day-to-day spending
Date, description, category and amount. Pick the category from the list so the Summary adds it up.
Check "Left to spend" and the Summary
See which category weighs most and how your month compares with the 50/30/20 rule. It is a guide, not a rule: change the percentages if your situation is different.
LIMITS
A spreadsheet works, but it has limits.
To be clear about what it is and is not:
- It is manual: you type every expense, and if you forget one the total will not know.
- It does not warn you about due dates or send reminders.
- It does not sync by itself across devices; if you use it on your phone and your computer you have to track which version is current.
- It does not connect to your bank or wallets, and "Left to spend" is not your bank balance: it only subtracts what you logged.
If you would rather not maintain a spreadsheet
Monthly organizes the same method (income, fixed bills with partial payments, daily spending and what is left) in a free app, with no bank connection, monthly history and quick entry from your phone. If your spreadsheet already works, keep using it: there is no need to switch.
Keep going
THE SMALL PRINT, MADE CLEAR
Questions about the template.
Before you download.
Format, Google Sheets, the 50/30/20 rule and the limits of a spreadsheet.
01Is the monthly budget template free?
Yes. The download is free, direct and requires no sign-up: we do not ask for an email or personal data.
02Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Import the file with File → Import → Upload in Google Sheets. Formulas (SUM, SUMIF, IF) and dropdown lists work, and the copy stays in your Google account.
03Does it have macros or need anything enabled?
No. It is a plain .xlsx with no macros or external connections, so there are no security warnings when you open it.
04What is the 50/30/20 rule on the Summary sheet?
It is a popular guideline: 50% of income for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings. The sheet compares what you spent in each group with that target. You can change the percentages if your situation is different.
05Can I change the categories?
Yes. On the Categories sheet you can rename the 12 existing ones and add up to 30 more. Give each a type (needs, wants or savings) so it counts toward the 50/30/20 rule.
06Is "Left to spend" what I have in my bank account?
No. It is your income minus the fixed bills and daily spending you logged. If you are missing entries it will read higher than reality, and it does not reflect account balances.
07Is this spreadsheet connected to the Monthly app?
No. They are independent tools: the template does not send data to Monthly and cannot be imported into the app.
Still need a hand? Get in touch
YOUR NEXT MONTH STARTS HERE
Try the same method in the app.
Monthly is free and does not connect to your bank: you choose what to record. The template and the app do not share data.
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