Free Budget Spreadsheets | Credential Index

Free Budget Spreadsheets and Tools

These free online spreadsheets let you skip the setup and start tracking your money right away.

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Edited by other Updated Jan 1, 2026 Creating a budget spreadsheet from scratch takes time, and maintaining it takes discipline and consistency. But there are free online spreadsheets that can simplify the process of managing your money and reaching your financial goals. We rounded up some you can use from trusted sources, including our 50/30/20 budget template, to help you sort through the internet noise.

How we made our list:

While there are tons of budgeting templates on the internet, we narrowed our list to those that are free, widely available and come from trusted sources.

Microsoft 365 Excel budget spreadsheet

How it works: Save yourself the hassle of setting up rows, columns and formulas by using a pre-made Excel budget spreadsheet from Microsoft. There are budgets for households, holidays, events and businesses. How it works: What we like: There’s a budget for just about every situation. Some lay out each month’s income side by side, which can be especially useful if you have a fluctuating income. Access Excel online and collaborate with others in the same document at the same time. What we like: Where to get it: Visit create.microsoft.com and type “budgets” in the search box to find an Excel file to download. Or sign in to Microsoft and edit in your desktop browser. Where to get it: Tip: You need Microsoft 365 software to open the file with Excel on your computer, which you’ll have to purchase if you don’t already have it. You might be able to open the file with another program, such as Google Sheets, but the formatting or certain features might work differently. Tip: » LEARN: How to budget money in 5 steps » LEARN:

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Google Sheets budget templates

How it works: Google Sheets is a part of the Google Workspace suite. Google Sheets has pre-made templates, such as an annual and monthly budgets. There are also business budgets for entrepreneurs who want to track their expenses. You can access Sheets for free with a Google account, which includes 15GB of free storage. If that’s not enough, you can pay to upgrade. How it works: What we like: You can bring your budget anywhere by logging in to your Google account from your smartphone, tablet or computer. You can also share access to a household budget with other members of your family. What we like: Where to get it: Sign in at google.com/sheets, then browse the template gallery at the top right of the page. The template titled “Monthly budget” might be a good place to start. Where to get it:

NerdWallet budget spreadsheet

How it works: The NerdWallet budget spreadsheet lets you input your monthly income and expenses and shows how your finances compare with the 50/30/20 budget breakdown: 50% of your income goes toward needs, 30% toward wants and 20% toward savings and debt repayment. How it works: It's OK if your budget doesn’t perfectly align with the 50/30/20 breakdown. Living in a high cost of living are, family size and large debt loads, like student loans, could be reasons to reconfigure your breakdown. Something as simple as adding an extra 10% to your "needs" category (60/30/10 budget) could better account for your expenses. What we like: The planner prompts you to consider a wide range of expenses — from life insurance premiums to travel expenses to credit card payments — so you don’t miss anything. What we like: Where to get it: You can read the story about our free budget template first, then use it directly on NerdWallet. You can also just download the spreadsheet, which is compatible with Microsoft Excel and Apple Numbers. Where to get it: NerdWallet budget planner

FTC budget worksheet

How it works: The Federal Trade Commission offers a website to educate consumers about money, including how to budget. Download and complete the budget worksheet PDF to see how your money is allocated each month and what changes you may want to make. How it works: What we like: Numbers and formulas can make budgeting a turnoff, but this simple worksheet is the furthest thing from intimidating. It’s a great jumping-off point if you’ve never budgeted before. What we like: Where to get it: On Consumer.gov, click the “Your Money” tab, then "Making a Budget” to download the budget worksheet PDF. Where to get it:

Canva printable budgeting tools

Canva is an online design tool with ready-made templates, including budgeting worksheets you can download or customize. How it works: It offers two main kinds of budgeting tools: printable PDF templates and spreadsheet-style templates compatible with Google Sheets and Excel. You’ll find free options, but those with a Canva Pro membership ($15 per month) will have a far better selection. How it works: PDF templates let you track monthly budgets, expenses, sinking funds and debt payoff, but they don’t support sorting or auto-calculations. Spreadsheet templates look like Canva designs but include tables that support formulas found in Google Sheets and Excel. What we like: A visually appealing way to organize and track your money. What we like: Where to find it: Create a free account at canva.com and search for “budget templates” or “budget tracker.” Where to find it:

Tools from personal finance influencers

Many personal finance experts and influencers offer their own suite of tools. While some come with a fee, others are free — often only requiring your email information to gain access. Ramit Sethi’s Conscious Spending Plan is free once you provide your name and email address. The download calculates your net work, income, fixed costs, investments, savings goals and guilt-free spending. The file can be used in Excel or imported into Google Sheets. Dave Ramsey also has a free printable budgeting template that uses the zero-based budgeting method — if that’s not a style you prefer, this template might not be for you. Taylor Price, also known as @pricelesstay, has loads of free tools. While these are geared mostly toward a younger audience, there’s plenty for everyone, including a budget planner and money tracker that you can complete online. Others, like the Money Guy, offer detailed free templates that drill down into other aspects of your personal finances, like net worth calculators, a new child checklist, tax guides and more.

The best budget spreadsheets according to Reddit

We sifted through Reddit forums to get a pulse check on what users say about the best budget spreadsheets. We used an AI tool to help analyze the feedback. Here's a summary of our analysis. People post anonymously, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances. We sifted through Reddit forums to get a pulse check on what users say about the best budget spreadsheets. We used an AI tool to help analyze the feedback. Here's a summary of our analysis. People post anonymously, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances. Excel and Google sheets rank high on Redditors' list of budgeting templates. They cite customization and flexibility as key features. Some users pair these spreadsheets with expense tracking through their banking apps. However, some technical skills are required to build and maintain these spreadsheets. A middle ground is Tiller, which connects your bank information to spreadsheets in Excel or Google Sheets, and updates daily. Templates are customizable and the company boasts data privacy as a key feature. Because Tiller isn't free (it costs $79 per year after a 30-day free trial), we didn’t add it to our list of free spreadsheets. But it could be a viable option for those looking for more automation.

What to consider before you make your budget

Find a budget spreadsheet you like? Do your research before downloading.

Only download tools from trusted websites

Taking the steps to make sure the budgeting tool comes from a reliable source can help you avoid phishing viruses and scams. While the four options on our list come from trusted sources, check online reviews for unfamiliar tools, apps and websites before downloading.

Don’t settle for something that doesn’t fit your needs

If the tools above aren’t a good fit, you’ve got other options. Maybe you're looking for an app-based experience rather than a spreadsheet. Many budgeting apps link with your bank accounts and categorize spending to create a more hands-off, automated approach. Check out some of the best budget apps. YNAB was frequently mentioned by Redditors as a popular option.

Step back and get clarity

Maybe looking at all the budgeting spreadsheets has made you realize that your budget isn’t working. Maybe the budget is outdated, not detailed enough or not inclusive of your priorities and goals. If that's the case, now is the time to back up and learn more about different budgeting strategies.

Budget maintenance and review checklist

Once you have a budget template or spreadsheet you like, it’s important to check in and review it as you make progress on your goals. Here’s a checklist of what you want to look for weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly.

Weekly checklist

Log your spending. Look at recent transactions and write down cash purchases. Log your spending. Check for surprises. Be on the lookout for double charges, price increases on subscriptions or anything else unusual. Check for surprises.

Monthly checklist

Update your income. This is especially important if your income isn’t the same each week or if you have a side hustle that brings in extra money. Update your income. Adjust category totals. If you came under budget in one area, you can move extra funds to another category or to savings. Adjust category totals. Check debt payments. Make sure your payments went through and note the new balances. Check debt payments.

Quarterly checklist (every three months)

Look for spending patterns. Which categories go over budget every month? Are there categories that are no longer relevant to you? Look for spending patterns. Review subscriptions. Cancel, pause or downgrade anything you’re not using. Review subscriptions. Plan for events. Planning early for vacations, holidays, school expenses and medical costs can help you stick to your budget. Plan for events. Revisit financial goals. Update your timeline for paying off debt, building an emergency fund or making a big purchase, like a car. Revisit financial goals.

Yearly checklist

Reset your budget. Revisit your categories and make sure they’re based on your life now, not the previous year. Reset your budget. Review big changes. Did you move? Have a baby? Get a promotion or a new job? These life changes will impact your spending and savings plan. Review big changes. Check insurance and benefits. Adjust for any changes you made to health insurance coverage and retirement savings. Check insurance and benefits. Update long-term goals. Check in with your emergency fund, debt balances and retirement savings. Consider building sinking funds for holiday shopping, vacations, kids’ summer camps — anything that created a financial pain point for you in the previous year. Update long-term goals. Explore more on About the authors Barroso Amanda Barroso, Ph.D., is a writer and content strategist helping consumers navigate budgeting, credit building and credit scoring. Before joining NerdWallet, Amanda wrote about demographic trends at the Pew Research Center and earned a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. Her work has been featured by the Associated Press, Washington Post and Yahoo Finance. Published in CFP® Hal M. Bundrick is a former NerdWallet personal finance writer. He is a certified financial planner and former financial consultant and senior investment specialist for Wall Street firms. Hal advised families, business owners, nonprofits and trusts, and managed group employee retirement plans. Published in How we made our list: Microsoft 365 Excel budget spreadsheet Google Sheets budget templates NerdWallet budget spreadsheet FTC budget worksheet Canva printable budgeting tools Tools from personal finance influencers The best budget spreadsheets according to Reddit What to consider before you make your budget Budget maintenance and review checklist Free Budget Template: A Simple Tool to Help You Track Your Money The Best Budget Apps for 2026 How to Budget Money in 5 Steps Free Budget Template: A Simple Tool to Help You Track Your Money By Lauren Schwahn, Amanda Barroso 50/30/20 Budget Calculator By Amanda Barroso, Elizabeth Ayoola The Best Budget Apps for 2026 By Amanda Barroso, Lisa Mulka, Laura McMullen How to Choose the Right Budgeting Strategy: 4 Methods to Consider By Lauren Schwahn Zero-Based Budgeting: What It Is And How It Works By Lauren Schwahn, Elizabeth Ayoola Is the 60/30/10 Budget Right for You? By Tiffany Curtis, Amanda Barroso What Is Cash Stuffing? How to Use the Envelope Budget System By Lauren Schwahn, Elizabeth Ayoola Pay Yourself First: Reverse Budgeting Explained By Lauren Schwahn, Amanda Barroso