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Blank budget template as Excel spreadsheet

11/15/06

Permalink 10:12:27 am, by Jeremy Email , 505 words, 103677 views   English (US)
Categories: Money

Blank budget template as Excel spreadsheet

My wife and I are currently facilitators in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace class and several people have asked me how I made my nice one page budget form. It is a Microsoft Excel file, and has everything squeezed in a very small space.

Here is a blank version of my Budget Template.
See also the bi-weekly budget form.

Update 11/15: I was asked for instructions on how to use this spreadsheet.

It is very much like the paper budget forms. Column B is the category, and column C is how much you have budgeted for that month. Column D is how much you have spent so far this month, so at the beginning of the month these will be all zero. Now column D is all formulas, since I didn't want to do math every time I wrote a check. So if you look at the second sheet "Actuals" you see a similar chart showing the same first 3 columns. Starting in column D, you can just enter one check per cell. So for example if you have spent $5, $20, and $15 on food, go to the food line and put 5 in column D, 20 in E and 15 in F etc. The total will automatically show up on the "Budget" sheet in column D.

Column E is simply a formula letting you know how much is left in that "envelope" for that category: i.e. Budgeted(C) - Actual(D).

The balances at the bottom are just for checking your math: Balance C should always be zero if your budget is balanced. Balance D should be exactly the same as the balance in your checkbook. Balance E should be the same as Balance D but reversed. If it is not, then there is a broken formula in the spreadsheet somewhere.

The tables on the right side:
The allocated savings register for you to record all of your savings goals, there is a formula for percent there but that is all.

The next table is the debt snowball table. The first column is the name of the debt, then the original amount, which is not really needed except that when you call in to scream "I'm debt free", Dave will ask you how much debt you paid off, and if you didn't write it down you won't know. The next column is how much the current principle balance on that debt is, and then you have a nice little percent.

The Upcoming table is a list of infrequent bills that I always forget about. I don't think that Dave has a form for this, but I needed it so that I remember to save up for big annual bills like car registration or quarterly insurance payments.

The next section in the black box, is what I call the motivating statement. It is what encourages me to keep going, when I can look at the budget taped to the side of the fridge and see in huge letters: "We saved $3,963 and paid off $16,883 in debt" it keeps me focused on the goal.

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: julio [Visitor] Email
THANKS for the template its very usefull for a broke/resoursefull college student
PermalinkPermalink 01/17/07 @ 00:34
Comment from: JC [Visitor] Email
I'm currently following Dave's plan and was looking for something EXACTLY like this.

Thanks and GOD Bless
PermalinkPermalink 01/23/07 @ 18:27
Comment from: Mark [Visitor] Email · http://www.EncryptDesigns.com
Hey I'm finally doing a budget and your spreadsheet is awesome! I finally figured out exactly how to use it and I think this is a great tool. Other places wanted $$$ for their spreadsheets...Hey I'm on a budget man! I can't buy a spreadsheet.

Thanks and you rule!
PermalinkPermalink 05/15/07 @ 20:02
Comment from: stefanie [Visitor] Email
Thanks! I ditto what Mark said! I am having a problem with sheet two though. It is not doing the transfer of Column D, E, and F like it should to page 1.
PermalinkPermalink 06/18/07 @ 17:44
Comment from: [Visitor]
Ditto all of the praise and gratitude! Now that I have this useful tool...FOCUS is my money mantra....

God Bless!
PermalinkPermalink 07/11/07 @ 00:54
Comment from: Phung Nguyen [Visitor]
Jeremy, You've done a great deed for creating this. It's helping me and I am sure it's helping all the other people as well. I will credit you for this. Thanks
PermalinkPermalink 10/12/07 @ 19:59
Comment from: stephen dewa [Visitor] Email
thanks. i finaLLY GOT WHAT I WANTED.
PermalinkPermalink 10/18/07 @ 01:43
Comment from: Tam Johnson [Visitor] Email · http://t4mk4t.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much for providing this extremely helpful and well-crafted spreadsheet! For some reason my MS Excel just would not activate so I had no access whatsoever to the templates on microsoft's site (chock that up to one more reason I am going to linux!!!)

thanks again!! you cant imagine the time and frustration this has saved me!!!
PermalinkPermalink 12/12/07 @ 21:50
Comment from: Terry [Visitor] Email
read my lips... thank you for creating this! I am also in Dave Ramseys Financial Peace University. I have not been able to make up a form I can use after the class with all in one. YOU have done it!
Thank you for all the tips also.
PermalinkPermalink 02/22/08 @ 20:44
Comment from: Jerry E.Vinson [Visitor] Email
How can I get a real copy? When you enter data does it negative or postive balances in the Diffference colum?
PermalinkPermalink 08/08/08 @ 13:01
Comment from: Jeremy [Member] Email · http://www.deadbeef.com
PermalinkPermalink 08/08/08 @ 13:19
Comment from: Steven Brown [Visitor] Email
Am I supposed to create a new spreadsheet for each month or is there a way to make several months in one worksheet? Thanks for the easy to follow budget!
PermalinkPermalink 11/11/08 @ 01:24
Comment from: Jeremy [Member] Email · http://www.deadbeef.com
I just erase the budget and start over every month. I do actually keep old copies in a file folder so I can look back later and see how my budget has changed over time. But so far in 3 years, I have never looked at the old months. Perhaps someday I will out of curiosity.
PermalinkPermalink 11/12/08 @ 08:35
Comment from: MIllers [Visitor] · http://visitor
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I have been trying to devise something like this for months but wasn't smart enough to do it myself!! Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with others!
PermalinkPermalink 01/10/09 @ 18:58
Comment from: Charles McGinnis [Visitor] Email
Thanks Man. That is EXACTLY what was needed. Now I can hack and slash away without having to sharpen a pencil or remember math :-)
PermalinkPermalink 04/27/09 @ 20:13
Comment from: Adam [Visitor] Email
Fantastic template. I'm still trying to work out exactly how to use it. My weekly income isn't always consistent as I work casual hours and do we use Sheet2(actuals) to record our spending? Or do we enter what we are actually putting away each week/fn/month?
PermalinkPermalink 05/29/09 @ 23:22
Comment from: Jeremy [Member] Email · http://www.deadbeef.com
The purpose of the "Actuals" sheet is to put in the actual spending, and then it will be subtracted from the front page so you can see how much you have left.

If your income is not consistent, there are a couple of ways to do it. One way is to put in estimates, and then adjust your budget when you know how much the check will be. Another way is to save up enough money that you can wait until you have a month's worth of paychecks and always live off last month's pay. Then you know how much money you have when you make your budget.
PermalinkPermalink 05/30/09 @ 12:03
Comment from: Christi [Visitor] Email
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I've taken Financial Peace University several times and love it! But I love this spreadsheet, and especially the motivational statements with the calculations built in! That's awesome!!! We are trying to payoff $30,000 in debt over the next year and I think this will help us keep up with it and keep motivated! Thank you!!!
PermalinkPermalink 06/06/09 @ 11:22
Comment from: Jeri [Visitor] Email
Can this be used and modified or is it to be purchased, I am a little confused by it?
PermalinkPermalink 07/01/09 @ 19:02
Comment from: Jeremy [Member] Email · http://www.deadbeef.com
Yes. Download it, use it, modify it, give copies to your friends, whatever you want to do.
PermalinkPermalink 07/01/09 @ 22:09
Comment from: Jami [Visitor] Email
Thanks! I just started Dave Ramsey's program and this is awesome!
PermalinkPermalink 09/22/09 @ 14:29
Comment from: Chris [Visitor]
Why does it say BLOW next to spending? Thanks for the sheet, i'm going to take a look at this sheet and try to work out a budget. s
PermalinkPermalink 09/24/09 @ 22:53
Comment from: Jeremy [Member] Email · http://www.deadbeef.com
It's blow money, you know, money you can blow on whatever you want. It's a term from Dave Ramsey's books.
PermalinkPermalink 09/25/09 @ 11:47
Comment from: Jason [Visitor] Email
I was just about to try and tackle making a budget spreadsheet that would coincide with Dave Ramsey's principles. Then I though, "maybe I should try googling it first." Good thing I did! No use reinventing the wheel! Your budget worksheet is awesome! Thank you so much for making this. I just read Total Money Makeover last week and am just now starting on baby step 2. This is a total life saver!
PermalinkPermalink 11/11/09 @ 15:15
Comment from: Greg [Visitor] Email
We all need to thank him for is REAL HONEST advice. I did my spread sheet and yup...way too much shame spending going on. If I dont "shame" spend,12 months and all but house and car debt are gone :) Thanks Dave!
PermalinkPermalink 11/17/09 @ 20:34
Comment from: John [Visitor] Email
First I want to thank you for taking the time and effort to set this budget up. Its greatly appreicated. Your the best!
Second- I need to add more categories, about 10-14. Ie..Insurance, I want to add house, car, life. For house: I want to add repairs, mort, taxes. So my question is can I just use the insert command where I need it and if so will that throw the formulas off ?
Thanks, John
PermalinkPermalink 12/29/09 @ 16:26
Comment from: Audrey [Visitor] Email
probably a dumb question but what happens for the next month, do I have to open a whole new spread sheet or just copy accross. Will the formulas copy correctly? and what about the actual page, please advise.

Love your budget by the way. has everything.
PermalinkPermalink 01/08/10 @ 12:02
Comment from: Jeremy [Member] Email · http://www.deadbeef.com
Just clear out the actuals page, and edit the values on the front page.
PermalinkPermalink 01/08/10 @ 12:06

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