Free envelope budget spreadsheet

What's in the template

• Budget sheet: 17 starter envelopes grouped into bills, everyday spending, sinking funds, goals, and a buffer, plus blank rows for your own. Columns for the amount you assign this month, what carried over, what's available, what you spent, and what's left.
• Left to assign: income plus your starting balance, minus everything you've assigned. Keep going until it reads $0, so every dollar has a job.
• Spending log: date, envelope (pick from a drop-down), description, and amount. Spending totals flow back to each envelope.
• Overspending in red: an envelope that goes negative turns red, so you know to move money from another one.

How to use it

1. Enter this month's income and any money already in your account (the yellow cells).
2. Rename or add envelopes, then type a monthly amount for each until Left to assign is $0. The starter envelope sets have example amounts if you're not sure where to begin.
3. Log every purchase on the Spending log tab.
4. Check the Remaining column before you spend. If an envelope is empty, move money from another one on purpose.
5. Next month, save a copy and type each Remaining amount into Carried over. Leftovers roll forward.

Using it in Google Sheets

1. Download the .xlsx file above.
2. In Google Drive, choose New → File upload and pick the file.
3. Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Sheets. Then use File → Save as Google Sheets to keep an editable copy.

When a spreadsheet stops being enough

Spreadsheets are a great way to learn the method. They get harder with credit cards (each card purchase has to move money into a payment envelope), with a partner editing at the same time, and with typing in every transaction. That's what EnvelopeBudget automates. For the full method, read how envelope budgeting works.