When you’re trying to get a good handle on your finances, it can be helpful to create a budgeting template. But it’s not always as easy as just writing down the numbers- sometimes, you must make them all line up in rows and columns. Luckily, there are tons of free templates out there that are ready for you to customize. Some budgets follow simple earnings fewer expenses equals savings format, while others focus more on spending habits or debt reduction. In this article, we will discuss the top budgeting templates.
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Top Budgeting Templates
1. Google Sheets
One of the best budgeting tools available is Google Sheets. It is an online spreadsheet that will give you budget columns and rows and other helpful tools, such as a graph based on your income and expenses. The template includes a separate row for each month of the year, which means you can also add notes or reminder text to help keep yourself on track with your plan. It also has lines for each expenditure category, so you can easily see where all your money is going each month and make adjustments where necessary.
2. Simple Budget
Another helpful tool is the simple budget template from Mint.com. It’s straightforward in design, but it is still very effective for those just getting started. There isn’t quite as much customization here as on some other templates, but you can still quickly enter your expenses and savings goals into the field provided.
3. Mint
One of the top budgeting templates, Mint, is a budgeting software package that is available online. It offers a premium version that offers more features. Still, even the free version will give you a dashboard to track your income and expenses and edit your budget, as well as an accounting function to manage all your financial transactions.
4. GenY finance
GenY Finance is yet another program that will help you with budget creation and spending control. It uses simple earnings, fewer expenses equals savings format, just like the others on this list, making it great for beginners or even those looking for an easy way to see where their money is coming from and going each month.
5. EveryDollar
EveryDollar is similar to the Mint template in its simplicity. It is accessible online budgeting software that includes a simple income and expenses column for you to write down your monthly totals, as well as the ability to create a separate savings category for goals that you have set up.
6. Tiller Money
Tiller Money is also an elementary template, but it offers some extra features for those more accustomed to using software programs. It has a yearly budget that shows you where you currently stand for your expenses and savings goals and even gives you the option of creating a monthly budget.
7. Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a popular software package that has been around for years and is still widely used today. It is free to download and open source, meaning anyone can use it so long as they have Microsoft Office installed. It comes with a comprehensive financial spreadsheet that one can use for all kinds of different purposes, including budgeting, so if you’re already familiar with it, you’ll benefit even more.
Overall, each option is a great one and will serve you well. Whatever you choose, remember that it’s essential to start small and simple while looking at the big picture to easily see where your money goes each month and make changes where necessary.
