Planned vs. actual — the point of a budget
A budget is only useful if you compare what you planned with what actually happened. This spreadsheet keeps both side by side, so you can see each month where the money went and adjust the plan for the next one.
How it is organized
The file has two tabs:
- Income — income sources with a planned and an actual amount, and totals for both. Seven rows are ready for sources (salary, side income, and so on).
- Expenses — category, item, planned, actual, and a Left column that calculates planned minus actual for each line. Fifteen rows are ready, with example lines for housing, food, transport, insurance, savings and subscriptions.
At the bottom of the Expenses tab, the totals add up planned, actual and left, and Money left this month subtracts total actual expenses from total actual income on the Income tab. A negative number there means you spent more than you earned.
Using it
- Replace the example amounts with your own, starting with the planned column.
- During the month, update the actual column as bills and receipts come in.
- At month end, look at the Left column: negative lines are where you overspent.
- Save a copy per month ("Budget 2026-11"), so you can compare months.
Treating savings as an expense
The example includes "Emergency fund" as an expense line. Budgeting savings as a fixed outgoing — rather than saving whatever is left — is a widely recommended habit, and it keeps "money left" honest.
FAQ
Which apps can open it?
Excel, Google Sheets (upload it to Drive), LibreOffice Calc and Apple Numbers. The formulas recalculate in all of them.
Can I add more rows?
Yes. Insert rows inside the existing range (above the last ready row) and the totals include them automatically; copy the Left formula down into new expense rows.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. It's a file you download and edit on your own device.