How to Do a Budget Spreadsheet With Excel 2003

Excel 2003 is a spreadsheet tool that allows users to create all sorts of worksheets for just about any project. One import spreadsheet that users have the ability to create with Excel is a budget. Budgets on Excel are done manually or using pre-made templates that are available for download free at the Microsoft website (see References). All you have to have to get started is Excel 2003 and a list of what you spend your money on.

Instructions

1. Press the “Windows” and “R” keys on your keyboard simultaneously, type in “Microsoft Excel,” and then click “Run” to open Excel 2003.

2. Click on the first square at the top left of the spreadsheet (A1) and then type in “Expense.”

3. Press the “Tab” key on your keyboard, this will put you on the square directly to the right of A1 (B1) and then type in “Sub Total.”

4. Press “Tab” to move to C1 and then type in “Actual Money Spent.”

5. Click on A2 and then type in “Savings.”

6. Press the “Enter” key on your computer keyboard, this will take you to the square directly below A2 (A3) and then type in “Savings Account.” Repeat this step for every type of savings or savings account you have including IRA, CD and Money Market accounts.

7. Type in every type of expenditure you have in all consequent squares within the A column until you have no more expenditures. Examples include groceries, gasoline, clothing, medical insurance, taxes, car repairs, credit card bills and utilities.

8. On the squares next to the expenditures and below “Sub Totals,” all the squares in the B column, type in the amount of money you estimate you will spend on those items for the month. For example, if you think you’ll spend $100 a week on groceries, type in “400” next to groceries.

9. Type in the actual amount of money that you spent on a certain item at the end of the month within the squares under the C column. For example, you actually only spent $370 on groceries so you would type “370” next to the 400 you estimated for groceries.

References

• Microsoft Office: Personal Budget Worksheet
• Microsoft Office: Personal Monthly Budget Planning