How to Make Free Printable Budget Worksheets

Use monthly financial records to make free printable budget worksheets.

Creating a budget worksheet gives you the tool to understand your personal or business finances. Budget worksheets allow you to plan, track and organize your money in one place. These worksheets list all monthly planned and actual amounts for incomes and expenses. Use this vital information to set goals or make changes to your spending for the next month’s budget. Many computers include financial software, such as Quicken or Microsoft Money, that contain budget worksheets, but these are not required. Free printable budget worksheets are obtainable online, or you can make one using a word processing program.

Things You'll Need

• Financial records
• Printer

Instructions

1. Collect all your financial records pertaining to your monthly incomes and expenses. Use this information to determine the categories needed on your budget worksheet.

2. Open your word processing program. Type “Incomes,” “Projected,” “Actual” and “Difference” evenly spaced across the page. Leave extra space for the first column, which will contain names.

3. Skip a line and then list each monthly income on a separate line. This includes salaries, dividends and child support. Make a “Miscellaneous” or “Other” category to use for unexpected income. Type “Total” on the next line.

4. Skip a few lines and then type “Expenses,” “Projected,” “Actual” and “Difference” evenly spaced across the page.

5. Move down a line and list your typical monthly expenses. Start with your fixed and necessary expenses. This includes your most important expenses, such as mortgage, utilities, car payments and insurance premiums.

6. Continue listing all your expenses and end the list with variable expenses, such as entertainment, clothing and personal care. Make two or three “Miscellaneous” or “Other” categories to use for unexpected expenses. Type “Total” on the next line.

7. Skip a few lines and type “Total Monthly Income.” On the next line, type ”Total Monthly Expenses.” On the next line, type “Difference.”

8. Type any amounts into the budget worksheet that stay the same monthly. This includes salaries and fixed expenses. This step saves you time.

9. Save and name your budget worksheet.

Tips & Warnings

• Select a free printable budget worksheet from online sources. Find a worksheet that best suits what you need or use a blank one to create your own.

References

• The University of Maine: Budgeting: Making a Plan
• Dollar Times: Family Budget Worksheet

Resources

• Dollar Times: Free Printable Budget Worksheet
• Budget Worksheets: Start a New Budget Worksheet
• Google Docs Templates: Budget Worksheet