Free budget template
By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.
What is in the spreadsheet
Monthly budget
Enter take-home pay once. Needs, wants and savings targets work themselves out, and each category shows planned against actual.
Moving budget
Twelve one-time costs of a move, from movers to deposits to new registration, with estimate and actual columns.
How to use
Short steps, including opening the file in Google Sheets.
Budget categories list
Needs
- Rent or mortgage
- Utilities
- Phone and internet
- Groceries
- Transportation
- Insurance
- Child care
- Minimum debt payments
Wants
- Dining out
- Entertainment
- Subscriptions
- Shopping
- Travel
- Gifts
Savings
- Emergency fund
- Retirement
- Moving fund
- Extra debt payments
Budget template: questions people ask
How do I open the budget template in Google Sheets?
Download the file, then in Google Sheets choose File, Import, Upload and pick it. Or upload it to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. The formulas carry over.
What budget categories should I use?
Start with three buckets: needs (housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, insurance, minimum debt payments), wants (dining out, entertainment, subscriptions, travel) and savings (emergency fund, retirement, extra debt payments). The template lists 18 categories you can rename.
Is the template free?
Yes. No sign-up, no email. It is a plain Excel file with no macros.
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