I Ditched Budgeting Apps for this Google Sheet

The simple way to manage my money was the best one

I’ve tried all kinds of budgeting apps, but none of them ever stuck. No matter how simple the apps tried to be, I always felt like I was fighting them. Using those apps meant following someone else’s concept of how my money was organized, which never fit quite with how I conceptualized it. After picking up and dropping several apps over the years, I came to an important conclusion: all I need is to know how much I’m spending.

I don’t want to develop different virtual “buckets” where I set and adjust amounts. I don’t want to learn how someone else budgets and try to follow it. I only need to know what I usually spend, and how much I’ve been spending this month. So, I built and refined a simple Google Sheet that I’ve been using all year.

My spreadsheet is built to let me easily see everything I need. I can see where I’m at financially for the month, and compare it to past months. Best of all, I can see the “rhythm” of my monthly spending, and adjust to make sure I’ve still got something left to put into savings at the end.

Here’s how it works. If you think this would work for you, click this link to see the spreadsheet. Click “File-Make a copy” to create a copy of the spreadsheet for your own use.