Monthly Household Budget (Excel)
Decide once how much the household means to spend on each thing, then jot down money as it comes in and goes out. The Month sheet compares plan with actual for every category, adds up fixed bills, everyday spending and the money moved to savings, and shows the share of income you kept against your own savings target. The Year sheet lays twelve months side by side so you can see which months are heavy (school fees, festivals, insurance renewals).
Free · no sign-up · opens in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice and WPS Office. Files contain no macros.
Preview
Real view of the file with its sample data (yellow cells are where you type).
| Month | November 2026 | Type | Plan | Actual | |
| Income | 99,120 | Fixed | 42,900 | 36,997 | |
| Fixed spending | 36,997 | Variable | 31,300 | 23,380 | |
| Variable and unplanned spending | 27,580 | Savings | 20,000 | 20,000 | |
| Moved to savings | 20,000 | Unplanned | 0 | 4,200 | |
| Left over (income − all of the above) | 14,543 | ||||
| Savings rate (income not spent) | 34.8% | ||||
| Your target | 20% | ||||
| How the month is going | On target | ||||
| Category | Type | Plan | Actual | Left (plan − actual) | |
| Rent / home loan EMI | Fixed | 18,000 | 18,000 | 0 | |
| Electricity | Variable | 2,200 | 2,650 | -450 | |
| Water and cooking gas | Variable | 1,100 | 0 | 1,100 | |
| Mobile and internet | Fixed | 1,500 | 1,497 | 3 | |
| Groceries | Variable | 9,000 | 8,300 | 700 | |
| Milk, fruit and vegetables | Variable | 4,500 | 1,450 | 3,050 | |
| School fees and tuition | Fixed | 7,500 | 2,500 | 5,000 | |
| Fuel and transport | Variable | 4,000 | 2,200 | 1,800 | |
| House help | Fixed | 11,500 | 11,500 | 0 | |
| Insurance premiums (monthly share) | Fixed | 3,500 | 3,500 | 0 | |
| Medicines and doctor | Variable | 1,500 | 1,180 | 320 | |
| Eating out and entertainment | Variable | 3,000 | 3,600 | -600 | |
| Clothes and personal care | Variable | 2,500 | 900 | 1,600 | |
| Gifts, festivals and functions | Variable | 2,000 | 3,100 | -1,100 | |
| Subscriptions and apps | Fixed | 900 | 0 | 900 |
What's inside
- Settings: household name, currency symbol, the month to view, the first month of your year and your savings target in percent
- Budget sheet: up to 50 categories, each marked Fixed, Variable or Savings, with a monthly planned amount (18 common household categories filled in to start)
- Income sheet: date, source, earner and amount for salaries, pension, rent received, interest and side income
- Spending sheet with 1,000 ready rows: date, category from a drop-down, description, amount and how it was paid (cash, UPI, card, bank, auto-debit)
- Month sheet: income, spending, savings, money left over and savings rate, plan vs actual per category with overspends in red, and a plan-vs-actual chart
- Year sheet: every category month by month for 12 months, with income, total spending and savings rate for each month
How to use it
- Open the Settings sheet. Type your household name and currency symbol, pick the month you want to see and type your savings target (for example 20%).
- Open the Budget sheet. Rename, delete or add categories so they match your home, mark each one Fixed, Variable or Savings and type the amount you plan to spend each month.
- Each time money comes in, add a row on the Income sheet with the date, source and amount.
- Each time you spend, add a row on the Spending sheet: date, pick the category, a few words and the amount. Money you move into a recurring deposit, SIP or emergency fund goes in a Savings category.
- Open the Month sheet to see where the month stands. Red rows are categories where you have spent more than planned.
- At the end of the month, change the month on the Settings sheet to start looking at the next one. Use the Year sheet to compare months.
Tips
- Fixed means the amount is the same every month (rent, EMI, school fees); Variable changes (groceries, fuel, electricity). Seeing them apart shows how much of the budget you can actually control.
- Write spends the same day, even small ones. Many people find a five-minute evening routine easier than sorting a month of UPI messages later.
- If a spend does not fit any category it is counted as "Unplanned" on the Month sheet; add a category on the Budget sheet if it keeps happening.
- Yearly payments such as insurance premiums or property tax can be budgeted as one-twelfth every month in a Savings category, so the month they fall due does not hurt.
- Yellow cells are for typing; grey cells calculate themselves and are protected (Review › Unprotect Sheet if you really must change one). Dates show in your computer's own date format.
Questions and answers
How is the savings rate worked out?
Savings rate = (income − spending on Fixed and Variable categories) ÷ income for that month. Money you move into Savings categories counts as saved, and so does money simply left in the account. The sheet shows it next to your own target.
Can two people in the family use it?
Yes. Put the file in a shared OneDrive or Google Drive folder, or keep one copy and note the earner on the Income sheet and the payment mode on the Spending sheet.
Does it work in any currency?
Yes. Type your currency symbol on the Settings sheet; it appears in the headings. Amounts are plain numbers with thousand separators, so they work for rupees, dollars, dirhams or euros alike.
Is this financial advice?
No. The workbook only adds up the figures you enter. How much to save or where to invest is a personal decision; speak to a qualified adviser if you need guidance.