Free Budget Template ???

[Tink-n-MrIncredible]

I am looking to make a new budget. Where can I get a good free budget template? I do not want to do it online like YNAB or others that are connected to the internet. I am just wanting ideas on how I can make mine better, simpler and more productive to me. I have the budget CD I purchased from DR but it is more than I want to do.

I have Quicken and am not sure if I like it.

If your budget is not connected to an online account, what do you use?

Thanks for any input.

 

[sam_gordon]

Use Excel or your favorite spreadsheet program. There's a number of ways you could format it... Use three columns for Income (#1: Day of month the money comes in, #2 Description, #3 Amount). Do the same for outgoing. It can be as complicated or as simple as you like.

Excel has some budget templates built in and you can download more. All for free.

 

[Disneywedding2010]

I use Excel and these are the way I label the cells in the spread sheet

Bill name ----- Amount Due ----- Due Date ----- Paid ------ Cleared account

 

[ChisJo]

I made my own in an excel worksheet based on budget ideas I found on the internet. You will eventually find what you want to include and what works in your columns, but I have a spreadsheet with 8 columns that include the expenditures column, weeks 1-4 in a month, total, budget, and +/- to see where I am overspending each month.

At the bottom of the budget spreadsheet, I also include a column for total earned in that period. This allows me to see if I overspend in a month compared to my intake.

I am very dependent on my budget and am religious with my budget spreadsheet. I never used to be, but it was an eye opener to see how much money we were spending at one time...it was always WAY more than I thought.

 

[sdenis]

Just open your excel program and click "new" and go to budgets. They have several to choose from and you can customize it for your own needs.
Good for you to want to start tracking!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I created my own in Excel. It evolved over a couple of years until I found a method that really told me our whole budget story.

We're both paid weekly and my spreadsheet is set up for the year, with 2 columns for each week (estimated/actual). I've been using the same for for at least 5 years now, so I know where most of the money is going and can revise it each year as things change.

The projected expenses are plugged into the estimated column for the appropriate week when they are due. When the bill is paid I fill in the actual amount. Across the top I do the same with income and at the bottom of each row I can see whether I can cover all expenses for the week and where I need to make adjustments so as not to go over budget.

It is my household finance bible. I update it almost daily and reconcile each week with my checking balance.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Gail Vaz-Oxlade has some free worksheets and budget guidelines on her website. I think she's great (she has two TV shows here in Canada - Til Debt Do Us Part and Princess and a column in Chatelaine magazine).

http://www.gailvazoxlade.com/resources/guide_to_building_budget.html

Teresa