Google Sheets · Sheets-ready .xlsx · 5 sheets
Budget Dashboard for Google Sheets
A year's budget by category and month, with spending logged as it happens and the gap shown on a dashboard.
- Google Sheets in any current browser Yes
- Google Sheets mobile app Partly
- Opened in Excel instead Partly
- Full matrix
Dashboard
| Category | Budget | Spent | Left | Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | 14.4 | 10.8 | 3.6 | |
| Groceries | 7.2 | 5.6 | 1.6 | |
| Utilities | 3.6 | 2.9 | 0.7 | |
| Transport | 3.0 | 2.2 | 0.8 | |
| Insurance | 2.4 | 2.4 | 0.0 | |
| Eating out | 2.4 | 2.3 | 0.1 | |
| Leisure | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.1 |
Insurance: 100% used
Data
| Date | Category | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03/09 | Groceries | Weekly shop | 112 |
| 05/09 | Utilities | Electricity | 86 |
| 12/09 | Eating out | Birthday dinner | 74 |
| =SUMIFS(D:D,B:B,A2) |
Log spending as you go. EUR k, Jan to Sep.
Read me
- 1Read me: What it is, the plug-in steps, a guide to each tab, and a note that charts may need redrawing after import.
- 2Categories: Twenty category slots in fixed blocks: three for income, fourteen for expenses, three for savings. Name them. The list of months lives here too.
- 3Budget: The budget year, then twelve months across and the twenty categories down. Totals and what is left after expenses and savings.
- 4Actuals: A transaction log with room down to row 505: Date, Category (a drop-down), Description, Amount. Type and Month fill themselves in. The sample is a made-up household, the Marlowes.
- 5Google Sheets file (import the .xlsx, or use the make-a-copy link). No scripts, no add-ons.
Rendered from the template's own layout with made-up numbers for the Marlowe household, a company that doesn't exist.
What it answers
- How much of the year's budget have we spent, and how much is left?
- Which categories are over budget or close to it this month?
- Where did the money go in March?
- Are we on plan for income and savings, not only spending?
- Can three people log spending in the same file without emailing versions around?
What's in the file
| Sheet | What it does |
|---|---|
| Read me | What it is, the plug-in steps, a guide to each tab, and a note that charts may need redrawing after import. |
| Categories | Twenty category slots in fixed blocks: three for income, fourteen for expenses, three for savings. Name them. The list of months lives here too. |
| Budget | The budget year, then twelve months across and the twenty categories down. Totals and what is left after expenses and savings. |
| Actuals | A transaction log with room down to row 505: Date, Category (a drop-down), Description, Amount. Type and Month fill themselves in. The sample is a made-up household, the Marlowes. |
| Dashboard | Pick a month. For every category: budget, actual, remaining, share used and a flag (Over budget, Near limit, Below plan or Behind), plus year to date. Totals, and three charts: the month by expense category, the year to date by category, and expenses by month. |
| Format | Google Sheets file (import the .xlsx, or use the make-a-copy link). No scripts, no add-ons. |
Plugging in your own data
Set up the year once, then log as you go.
- 1
Make a copy: upload the .xlsx to Google Drive and open it with Sheets, or use the make-a-copy link from your order.
- 2
On Categories, name your twenty categories.
- 3
On Budget, set the year and type the plan for each month.
- 4
On Actuals, log spending as it happens, or paste a bank export with the four columns below.
- 5
On Dashboard, pick the month.
- 6
Delete the sample labels.
What your data has to look like
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Date | a real date |
| Category | from the drop-down (the Categories list) |
| Description | anything |
| Amount | a positive number; the category decides whether it counts as income, expense or saving |
Will it work on your machine?
| App and version | Works? | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browser | |||
| Google Sheets in any current browser | Yes | Any up-to-date browser on Windows, Mac, Linux or a Chromebook. It's an .xlsx built for Google Sheets: import it into Drive, or use the make-a-copy link when it's in your order. | |
| Phone and tablet | |||
| Google Sheets mobile app | Partly | Sheets mobile app: fine for looking. Typing into a budget on a phone is possible, not pleasant. | |
| Excel | |||
| Opened in Excel instead | Partly | Opening it in Excel works for reading. Use it in Sheets; that's what it's laid out for. | |
- Share your copy with colleagues in the usual way. On the team licence, up to 10 named people can work in it. After import, check the three charts; Sheets sometimes needs them redrawn.
Built for the versions marked ✓. We check every file before it goes on sale, but we haven't tried every setup. If something doesn't work in yours, tell us and we'll fix it or refund you.
No macros in any file. Nothing asks you to enable content.
What the licence lets you do
| What you can do | Single | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use the file | You, one named person | Up to 10 named people in the same company |
| Use it in your own business or job | Yes | Yes |
| Send the outputs (charts, PDFs, slides) to anyone, clients included | Yes | Yes |
| Edit anything: formulas, colours, layout, logo | Yes | Yes |
| Pass the file itself to someone else | No | Only inside the team of 10 |
| Resell, upload, rebrand or publish it as a template | No | No |
| Price | €19 | €45 |
More than 10 people? Ask us at office@primedigitallabs.com. Both licences are a one-off price. Nothing renews.
Updates and help
- Bug fixes
- Bug fixes are free for as long as we sell this template. Your copy in Google Drive won't change by itself, so when we fix something, download the newest version with your order number and copy your data across.
- Support
- Questions go to office@primedigitallabs.com. We usually reply within 2 working days.
- What support covers
- Support covers how the template works and anything that's broken. Rebuilding it around a different data structure is custom work, and we're happy to quote for that.
Probably not for you if
- You want it to read your bank account automatically. It doesn't connect to anything.
- You need a full P&L with revenue and margins. The Excel Finance Overview does that.
- You need more than twenty categories, or your company doesn't allow Google Drive.
Goes well with
- Sample data, fictional
KPI Tracker for Google Sheets
A weekly log with an owner and a status per KPI.
Google Sheets · Sheets-ready .xlsx5 sheetsWin YesMac YesWeb Yes€25
Questions people ask about this one
Is it for a household budget or a business?
The sample is a household, and the layout suits one: three income lines, fourteen expense lines, three savings lines. It does a small team or a project budget just as well. The twenty categories are yours to name.
Can I paste in a bank export?
Yes, if you arrange it as the four columns: Date, Category, Description, Amount. You still set the category on each row; the file doesn't guess. The log is ready down to row 505.
What does "import or make-a-copy link" mean?
You get an .xlsx built for Google Sheets. Upload it to Drive and open it with Sheets. Once the make-a-copy link is set up, your order includes that too, which drops a copy straight into your Drive.
Does my copy update when you fix something?
No, your copy is yours. Download the newest version with your order number and copy your data across.