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Free Google Sheets Budget Template

An auto-calculating monthly budget you can copy to your own Google Drive in one click. Track income, expenses, and savings — totals and charts update as you type. Free, no signup. Prefer Excel? Download that version too.

Make a copy in Google SheetsDownload for Excel (.xlsx)

100% free · No email required · Works on desktop & mobile

Set up your budget in 4 steps

Step 1: Make your own copy

Click Make a copy in Google Sheets above. Google saves a private copy to your Drive that only you can see — the original stays untouched. No account changes, no sharing.

Step 2: Enter your monthly income

Add your take-home pay and any side income in the green Income cells. Use net (after-tax) amounts so your budget reflects the money that actually hits your account.

Step 3: Fill in fixed and variable expenses

Enter fixed bills (rent, insurance, loan payments, subscriptions) and variable spending (groceries, dining, gas, fun). Pull the real numbers from 2–3 months of bank statements rather than guessing.

Step 4: Read your summary

The Summary tab updates automatically — total income, total spending, money left over, and a breakdown chart. If “left to budget” is below zero, trim a variable category until it hits $0 or above.

Pro tip: Most banks let you export transactions to CSV. Paste them into a scratch tab to total each category accurately instead of estimating.

A Google Sheets budget template is a free, ready-made spreadsheet that tracks your monthly income, expenses, and savings — with the math already built in. You copy it to your own Google Drive, type your numbers into the highlighted cells, and the totals, “money left to budget,” and category chart update automatically. No software to install, and it syncs across every device you sign in to.

Why use a Google Sheets budget template?

  • Free and instant — make a copy in one click, no signup or app download.
  • Auto-calculating — formulas total every category and flag overspending for you.
  • Cloud-synced — edit on your laptop, check it on your phone; changes save automatically.
  • Private — your copy lives in your Drive under your account; no one else can see it.
  • Flexible — works for a standard monthly budget, the 50/30/20 rule, or a zero-based budget.

Google Sheets vs. Excel: which version should you use?

Both versions of this template are identical in layout and formulas — the only difference is where the file lives and how you open it. Use this quick guide to pick:

  • Choose Google Sheets if you want free cloud access, automatic saving, and the ability to edit from your phone or any browser without installing anything.
  • Choose Excel (.xlsx) if you prefer to work offline, already live in Microsoft Office, or want the file stored only on your own computer. The download also opens in LibreOffice Calc and Apple Numbers.

You can switch later — a Google Sheets copy can be downloaded as Excel at any time (File → Download → Microsoft Excel), and an Excel file can be uploaded back into Google Drive.

How to keep your budget working all month

Setting up a budget is the easy part; the habit is what makes it stick. Update your template once a week — a five-minute check-in beats a monthly marathon. Automate your fixed bills and a savings transfer on payday so those numbers take care of themselves, and focus your attention on the two or three variable categories (usually dining, groceries, and shopping) where overspending actually happens. For a full walkthrough of building your first budget from scratch, see the guide linked below.

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Learn more: Read our comprehensive guide on

How to Build Your First Budget: A Step-by-Step Guide

New to budgeting? Learn exactly how to set up, fund, and stick to a budget that fits your real life — from tracking spending to automating savings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — it is completely free with no signup or email required. Click "Make a copy in Google Sheets" to save your own private version to Google Drive, or download the Excel (.xlsx) version. You can use, edit, and share your copy however you like.
Click the "Make a copy in Google Sheets" button. Google opens a copy dialog and saves a private duplicate to your Drive that only you can see. The original template is never affected, and you do not need to request edit access — the copy is yours.
Yes. Use the "Download for Excel (.xlsx)" button to get a Microsoft Excel version with the same layout and formulas. It also opens in LibreOffice Calc and Apple Numbers. Choose Google Sheets if you want automatic cloud sync across devices, or Excel if you prefer to work offline.
Yes. All the math is built in. As you type your income and expenses into the highlighted cells, the totals, "money left to budget," and the category breakdown chart update instantly. You never have to write a formula yourself.
It works for a standard monthly budget, the 50/30/20 rule, and zero-based budgeting. There is a dedicated zero-based tab for assigning every dollar a job, and the category structure maps cleanly to needs/wants/savings if you follow 50/30/20.
Yes. When you make a copy, the new file lives in your own Google Drive under your account. We never see the numbers you enter — there is no connection back to us and no account linking. Your budget is as private as any other file in your Drive.

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