Budgets/Spreadsheets?
- Thread starter Laurelin
- Start date
Mine is just an Excel spreadsheet that I've been slowly adding to and tweaking. I finally have it to a point that I like it (albeit things will undoubtedly change).
It looks like this (with all personal information removed)
That long blank yellow row that you see above typically has goal values (for my goal limit on each of the categories)...the yellow box that is underneath the crosshatched row starts with my goal budget and counts down as I input expenditures. I took the values out. As I enter values into each light orange column, my month total counts up and my amount left to spend counts down.
There are quite a few formulas embedded into the spreadsheet. I kind of destroyed it in taking out my personal information and shrinking it down to fit in in just two images, so it doesn't look as nice as it usually does, but it keeps a running tally for me of how much money I have left to spend for the given month to be within my "goal budget" as well as the amount of money that I have left to spend to not overdraw my account. Any leftover change at the end of the pay period gets inputted back into savings and I start over again when I get my new check with period 2. It will calculate the total amount that I add to retirement or savings each month based on my inputs and it calculates the percent breakdown of where my money goes each month (retirement, savings, expenditures, tax, etc.)
I'm still getting the hang of being a "real" adult, but I am quite proud of my little spreadsheet! I've heard good things about some online programs that'll do it all for you, but I like that mine has exactly what I want exactly where I want it, even if it does mean manually entering in all of my expenditures. Maybe you all can convince me to change my mind...
It looks like this (with all personal information removed)
That long blank yellow row that you see above typically has goal values (for my goal limit on each of the categories)...the yellow box that is underneath the crosshatched row starts with my goal budget and counts down as I input expenditures. I took the values out. As I enter values into each light orange column, my month total counts up and my amount left to spend counts down.
There are quite a few formulas embedded into the spreadsheet. I kind of destroyed it in taking out my personal information and shrinking it down to fit in in just two images, so it doesn't look as nice as it usually does, but it keeps a running tally for me of how much money I have left to spend for the given month to be within my "goal budget" as well as the amount of money that I have left to spend to not overdraw my account. Any leftover change at the end of the pay period gets inputted back into savings and I start over again when I get my new check with period 2. It will calculate the total amount that I add to retirement or savings each month based on my inputs and it calculates the percent breakdown of where my money goes each month (retirement, savings, expenditures, tax, etc.)
I'm still getting the hang of being a "real" adult, but I am quite proud of my little spreadsheet! I've heard good things about some online programs that'll do it all for you, but I like that mine has exactly what I want exactly where I want it, even if it does mean manually entering in all of my expenditures. Maybe you all can convince me to change my mind...
This is my financial goddess Gail Von Oxlade, she's Canadian and AWESOME!
She has this year long money challenge for free plus tons of free articles
http://mymoneymychoices.com/
The challenge gets you started on budgeting and goes from there!
I've just started it and am loving it!
She has this year long money challenge for free plus tons of free articles
http://mymoneymychoices.com/
The challenge gets you started on budgeting and goes from there!
I've just started it and am loving it!
I use this one and I really like it! You put in income and regular expenses and it subtracts everything and leaves you with the extra...all the formulas and stuff are already in
https://drive.google.com/previewtemplate?id=0AmIxTB3wy_zAdE1HbklxVjBEdGpieHVfSkw5RGEyQkE&mode=public
https://drive.google.com/previewtemplate?id=0AmIxTB3wy_zAdE1HbklxVjBEdGpieHVfSkw5RGEyQkE&mode=public
I use a combination of things. But I like to call myself a budget queen. If there is anything in the world I do well, it is manage money.
I don't use Excel because I find it way too daunting to deal with and look at and think about. I have tried many times and IMO a budget needs to be clear and precise and easy to read. I open Excel go "**** this" and buy McDonalds. Sooo....LOL
Mint.com - Extremely easy to use and links all of your bank accounts in one spot. Website, app, widget. You can put it ANYWHERE so there is never an excuse for not knowing about the budget or forgetting something. You can set up all sorts of Goals and Budgets, set your Monthly Income, account for regular expenses and rare expenses...it is wonderful. It shows you EVERYTHING EVER. It also gives you a lot of tips, tricks, and advice. Occasionally it will also throw in some nice stuff too, like bank deals or where you might be able to buy things cheaper online to better support your hobbies or regular frivolous spending. For example, I buy a lot of wine. It gave me a $100 giftcard to buy wine from an online wine retailer that supports micro-wineries. Pretty cool.
Calendar - I prefer a whiteboard because I can keep it looking cleaner, but use whatever. Write down when bills are due, when you get paid. If you can, try to rearrange your bills so that you either have them all done and out of the way one or two times a month or keep them evenly spaced out so you're never running too low on money. Also things are staring me in the face 100% of the time. It is the biggest help to me.
General Budget advice.....
Snowball - Focus any extra money on debt, not savings. I know it is hard knowing you don't have ANY money at all, but savings don't account for much if you're paying off credit cards and loans one slow year at a time. Pile all extra money on one thing, then when it is paid off, take all of that money and put it on something else. Your budget stays the same, but you're taking care of your debts much quicker.
David Ramsey - He is sort of a genius. Find his books if you can.
Micro-transactions - Your Starbucks Coffee, a vending machine, grabbing lunch out, etc. All of that. Put it all in one place, be it cash or a single credit card. Micro-transactions can be your biggest enemy, because you never think about them or notice them. $5 Starbucks 5 days a week adds up to around $100 a month that gets lost between bills and gas and groceries.
I don't use Excel because I find it way too daunting to deal with and look at and think about. I have tried many times and IMO a budget needs to be clear and precise and easy to read. I open Excel go "**** this" and buy McDonalds. Sooo....LOL
Mint.com - Extremely easy to use and links all of your bank accounts in one spot. Website, app, widget. You can put it ANYWHERE so there is never an excuse for not knowing about the budget or forgetting something. You can set up all sorts of Goals and Budgets, set your Monthly Income, account for regular expenses and rare expenses...it is wonderful. It shows you EVERYTHING EVER. It also gives you a lot of tips, tricks, and advice. Occasionally it will also throw in some nice stuff too, like bank deals or where you might be able to buy things cheaper online to better support your hobbies or regular frivolous spending. For example, I buy a lot of wine. It gave me a $100 giftcard to buy wine from an online wine retailer that supports micro-wineries. Pretty cool.
Calendar - I prefer a whiteboard because I can keep it looking cleaner, but use whatever. Write down when bills are due, when you get paid. If you can, try to rearrange your bills so that you either have them all done and out of the way one or two times a month or keep them evenly spaced out so you're never running too low on money. Also things are staring me in the face 100% of the time. It is the biggest help to me.
General Budget advice.....
Snowball - Focus any extra money on debt, not savings. I know it is hard knowing you don't have ANY money at all, but savings don't account for much if you're paying off credit cards and loans one slow year at a time. Pile all extra money on one thing, then when it is paid off, take all of that money and put it on something else. Your budget stays the same, but you're taking care of your debts much quicker.
David Ramsey - He is sort of a genius. Find his books if you can.
Micro-transactions - Your Starbucks Coffee, a vending machine, grabbing lunch out, etc. All of that. Put it all in one place, be it cash or a single credit card. Micro-transactions can be your biggest enemy, because you never think about them or notice them. $5 Starbucks 5 days a week adds up to around $100 a month that gets lost between bills and gas and groceries.