Budgeting & Money
How to build a budget that holds up: budgeting methods compared, debt payoff plans, sinking funds, paycheck budgets, bills, net worth and budgeting as a couple.
A budget is a plan for money you already expect to have. The guides here cover the methods that work in real life (zero-based, 50/30/20, paycheck budgets, sinking funds) and the jobs a budget has to handle: bills that land at awkward times, debts with different interest rates, irregular income and two people sharing one household.
Every worked example shows its numbers and its assumptions, so you can rerun it with your own. Start with how to set up a budget spreadsheet if you have never tracked your money, or go straight to debt payoff or sinking funds if you already have the basics. The template pages show how each tool looks inside our budget spreadsheet, several with a calculator you can use right on the page.
These guides are general information to help you organize your money, not financial advice. For decisions about debt relief, taxes or investing, talk to a qualified professional.
8 templates
- 50/30/20 Budget Spreadsheet for Google Sheets and Excel
A 50/30/20 budget spreadsheet that tags spending as needs, wants or savings and checks each month against your targets, with a calculator and DIY formulas.
- Bill Tracker Spreadsheet With a Printable Bill Calendar
A bill tracker spreadsheet for Google Sheets and Excel: enter each bill once, tick payments off and print a monthly bill calendar with weekly totals.
- Biweekly Budget Template: Plan Every Paycheck in Sheets or Excel
A biweekly budget template that plans each paycheck: which bills it covers, what is left to spend, three-paycheck months and formulas to build your own.
- Couples Budget Spreadsheet: Track Who Earns and Spends What
A couples budget spreadsheet for Google Sheets and Excel: tag each transaction by person, see who earned and spent what, and split shared costs fairly.
- Debt Snowball Spreadsheet With Free Payoff Calculator
A debt snowball spreadsheet that compares snowball, avalanche and custom payoff orders, with a free calculator, worked example and formulas to build your own.
- Net Worth Tracker Spreadsheet With Free Net Worth Calculator
A net worth tracker spreadsheet for Google Sheets and Excel: list assets and debts, see your net worth and yearly growth, or build your own with formulas.
- No Spend Challenge Tracker With Habit Cost Calculator
A no spend challenge tracker for Google Sheets and Excel: count no-spend days from your budget, price five habits per year, or build your own tracker.
- Sinking Funds Tracker With Free Monthly Savings Calculator
A sinking funds tracker for Google Sheets and Excel: set goals, log contributions, see months left and a finish date. Free calculator and formulas included.
24 guides
- 50/30/20 Rule: Budget Examples at Four Incomes, Needs vs Wants
The 50/30/20 rule worked out at four take-home incomes, a needs vs wants list, and how to adjust the split when rent alone takes more than half your pay.
- Budget Categories: A List of 90+ Grouped for Any Household
A list of budget categories grouped as income, bills, expenses, savings, subscriptions and debts, with 90+ ideas, how detailed to go and what people forget.
- Budget Spreadsheet vs App: Pros, Cons and Which to Choose
Budget spreadsheet vs app compared on cost, bank sync, privacy, flexibility and effort, plus what a spreadsheet can't do and who should pick each one.
- Budgeting Methods Compared: 6 Ways to Budget and Who They Suit
Six budgeting methods compared: zero-based, 50/30/20, envelope, pay yourself first, 80/20 and reverse budgeting, with effort, fit and spreadsheet setup.
- College Student Budget: Turn Semester Money Into a Monthly Plan
A college student budget built from semester money: aid refunds, part-time pay and family help turned into a monthly plan, with an example and common leaks.
- Debt Avalanche Method: Worked Example and How to Stick With It
The debt avalanche method pays the highest interest rate first. See a computed four-debt example, where the savings come from and how to stay motivated.
- Debt Snowball Method: Step-by-Step Example With Real Numbers
How the debt snowball method works, with a month-by-month example on four debts, what happens when each one is paid off, and the mistakes that stall it.
- Debt Snowball vs Avalanche: Which Payoff Method Is Best?
Debt snowball vs avalanche compared on one set of debts: months to debt-free, total interest, a hybrid order and a decision table to choose your method.
- Family Budget: How to Plan for Kids, Parties and Holidays
How to make a family budget that fits kids: childcare, activity and school categories, sinking funds for holidays and birthdays, and ways to involve your kids.
- How to Budget as a Couple: Account Setups and a Money Meeting
How to budget as a couple: joint, yours-mine-ours and separate accounts compared, a monthly money meeting agenda, and a way to track spending without blame.
- How to Budget Biweekly Paychecks With a Real Pay Calendar
How to budget biweekly paychecks: map your paydays, match each bill to a paycheck, balance rent, plan 3-paycheck months, plus weekly and semi-monthly pay.
- How to Budget With Credit Cards Without Double Counting
How to budget with credit cards: count purchases as spending when you make them, log the payment as a transfer, avoid double counting and reconcile monthly.
- How to Budget With Irregular Income: Baseline and Buffer
How to budget with irregular income: build a baseline budget, run a holding account and split each deposit by percentage, with a three-month freelancer example.
- How to Calculate Net Worth: Formula, Checklist and Example
How to calculate net worth step by step: the formula, an assets and liabilities checklist, a worked example with a home, and what to do when it goes down.
- How to Make a Budget Spreadsheet in Google Sheets or Excel
How to make a budget spreadsheet step by step: income rows, category groups, budget vs actual columns and SUMIF formulas for Google Sheets and Excel.
- How to Organize Bills: A Simple System for Every Due Date
How to organize bills in five steps: list every bill, build a due-date calendar, set autopay rules, run a 10-minute weekly check and do a yearly sweep.
- How to Split Bills Based on Income: Formula and 3 Examples
How to split bills based on income: the proportional formula, worked examples at three income gaps, 50/50 and equal leftover compared, and a spreadsheet setup.
- How to Track Expenses in Google Sheets (Formulas Included)
How to track expenses in Google Sheets: a transaction log with dropdowns, SUMIFS totals by month and category, a filter view and a pivot table, step by step.
- How to Track Subscriptions and Cancel the Ones You Forgot
How to track subscriptions: find every recurring charge, list it in a simple tracker, turn prices into a yearly cost, then cancel or rotate what you don't use.
- Monthly Budget Review: A 30-Minute End of Month Checklist
A monthly budget review in 30 minutes: an end of month checklist, the questions to ask and how to set next month's budget from this month's actual spending.
- No Spend Challenge: Rules, a 30-Day Plan and Habit Math
How to run a no spend challenge: rules and an essentials list, a 30-day plan, no spend month ideas, habit-cost math and what to do with the money you keep.
- Sinking Fund Categories: 47 Ideas and How to Size Each
47 sinking fund categories grouped by car, home, holidays, health, pets, kids and gifts, with how to size each fund from its yearly cost and how many to run.
- Sinking Funds: What They Are and How to Set Them Up
Sinking funds explained: what a sinking fund is, the monthly formula, how it differs from an emergency fund, where to keep it and a three-fund example.
- Zero-Based Budgeting: How It Works, With a $4,200 Example
Zero-based budgeting explained with a $4,200 monthly example: how to give every dollar a job, fix overspending, and when a rollover budget suits you better.