looking fro a free budget spreadsheet template - any recommendations?

[shohan913]

hi everyone,
i'm relatively new to serious budgeting and have been trying to get my finances organized this year. i've realized that using a dedicated spreadsheet seems much better than relying on apps, as i like having full control and seeing all the formulas myself.
i'm currently searching for a free budget spreadsheet template-ideally one that's easy to customize, maybe something that works well in both google sheets or excel. i'm not looking for anything overly complicated, just something solid that tracks income, fixed expenses, variable spending, and maybe even a small savings goal section.
does nayone here have a template they've used and really recommend? or, if you made your own, what are the must-have categories or features you included that you found most helpful? i'm open to suggestions!
thanks in advance for your help!

 

[mattcarter]

I've had good luck with free templates like the Google Sheets monthly budget or Vertex42's spreadsheets - both are easy to use and customizable. My tip: keep it simple at first and tweak the categories to match your own spending. That way it's less overwhelming and easier to stick with long-term.

 

[sophie.brooks]

Spreadsheets give you full control without all the app clutter. There are great fre eGoogle Sheets templates with sections for income, expenses, and savings charts. You can even add tabs for a monthly overview or color-code categories. Do you like updating your budget weekly or just plugging in numbers once a month?

 

[rosskayla]

I've tried a bunch of free budget spreadsheets, and Google Sheets ones are definitely the mostf lexible. The Google Sheets Monthly Budget template is a solid starting point-it's simple, color-coded, and easy to adjust for your own income and expenses. If you want something a bit more structured, the 50/30/20 Budget Template from Reddit is great for beginners too. I like that both are easy to customize for your categories and savings goals without feeling too complicated.

 

[olivia.wong]

f you want a free budget spreadsheet, Google Sheets* has some great templates that you can customize for tracking your income, expenses, and savings goals. I also like Vertex42 - their spreadsheets are really clean and easy to use, whether it's for a monthly budget or keeping an eye on debts. The nice thing is you can adjust them to fit your own style, and being digital makes it easy to update on the go.

 

[logan_evans]

Tried tons of apps but always came back to spreadsheets for the control. I built my own in Google Sheets after finding most templates too cluttered. I kept it s/imple: income up top, fixed expenses, variable spending, and savings goals. Adding a rolling balance to track what's left each month was a game-changer - it's super motivating to see the numbers grow.

 

[liam.grant]

Same here, switching to a spreadsheet finally made budgeting make sense for me. I love having full control, so I customized a free Google Sheets template to track income, bills, spending, and savings in one place. Having a "planned vs. actual" section and a running balance reallyh elps. If you're looking for a good starting point, Tiller and Vertex42 have simple, customizable templates for both Sheets and Excel.