Monthly budget spreadsheet: planned vs actual

A useful budget file is not a wish list. It shows what you meant to spend, what you actually spent, and the difference — in the same categories, for the same month.

Planned vs actual in one view

For each income and expense category, keep two numbers: the plan (what you set at the start of the month) and the actual (what landed in the transaction log). A third column — variance — is a formula. Positive or negative variance is enough to decide whether to cut, carry over, or leave the plan alone next month.

What the sheet should include

Income and expense categories with planned amounts
A transaction log with category drop-downs
Actual totals that sum from the log (not typed twice)
Variance = planned − actual (or the reverse, labeled clearly)
A twelve-month or annual view so January does not mean a new file

Yellow cells for your inputs; gray cells for formulas. Avoid macros if you share the file or open it on locked-down machines.

How to use it each month

Set or tweak planned amounts once. Log transactions as they happen (or weekly). At month-end, read the variance column and the annual sheet. Do not rebuild categories from scratch every January — carry the structure forward and only change the numbers.

This is a record-keeping framework, not personalized financial advice.