Start a monthly review and follow a number back to its records.
Suggested for your taskMonthly plans, accounts & statements
Household Budget Workbook
Plan between paydays. Keep account balances separate.
Review a week, fortnight or your own date window with saved category plans and actual transactions. Keep the existing monthly plans, linked bills and account reconciliation. Refunds reduce spending; transfers stay separate.
- Format
- Excel · .xlsx
- Inside
- 17 worksheets
- Included
- Clean file + example + guide
$4.90USD · one-time priceVAT included where applicable. Other applicable taxes are shown at checkout.Explore the sheets Try the account example
Check the capacity and fitWho it is for, supplied record limits and software requirements
The everyday problem
What has cleared, and what is still pending?
Your monthly spending can be under plan while a card payment is still pending. A transfer may reach Savings before leaving Current. Keep the monthly plan, each account and its statement comparison connected so you can trace the difference to the record that caused it.
Optional guideNeed help getting started?Choose where to begin. All listed files are included.
Add the complete product to your cart whenever you’re ready. Use this guide only if you’d like help choosing what to open first; your choices do not change the product or its price.
Guide step 1 of 4
What would you like to do?
Pick a useful task, or build your own selection.
Which sheets would you explore first?
Choose your starting points. The workbook keeps all its connected sheets and formulas; this does not remove or rebuild worksheets.
Nothing selected yet.
Choose the month before recording or reviewing.
Suggested for your taskSee which categories explain the month.
Suggested for your taskKeep each month's plan independent; one year per workbook.
Suggested for your taskCompare months without rewriting earlier plans.
Suggested for your taskRecord actual spending once, then distinguish it from transfers and clearing.
Suggested for your taskDefine category IDs; enter each month separately in Budgets.
Suggested for your taskKeep a future bill visible. It affects actual spending only when entered in Transactions.
Suggested for your taskReview money set aside, without calling it a bank balance.
Suggested for your taskRecord money actually put aside or taken back; this does not duplicate an expense.
Suggested for your taskUnderstand the colour conventions and boundaries first.
Suggested for your taskReview each account through the chosen review date. Negative card debt is valid.
Suggested for your taskTrace a statement difference. These recalculating comparisons do not change the register or freeze its history.
Suggested for your taskLink an actual transaction to a bill reference so it can be reviewed against the planned amount.
Suggested for your taskCompare bill expectations with linked recorded transactions and their remaining amount.
Suggested for your taskReview bill-link warnings alongside the inherited account and reconciliation checks.
Suggested for your taskChoose a date window. Compare its saved plan with actual transactions through the review date.
Suggested for your taskWhich file would you open first?
Both files are included. Choose which one you would open first in a desktop spreadsheet application.
Your starting plan.
Your first file or method
Both XLSX files, all 17 connected sheets and the single included guide remain in the complete kit. Your selection identifies where to begin.
Read the complete setup guideThe complete product. Your starting choices do not change its contents or price.
Your choices help you understand the complete product. They do not alter its contents or price.
Both XLSX files, all 17 connected sheets and the single included guide remain in the complete kit. Your selection identifies where to begin.
Read the tasks, contents and file choices
Useful starting tasks
Match a statement without hiding pending money.. Use the included START_HERE.pdf guide to follow one complete task in a disposable example copy.
Choose my own starting points. Explore the contents and select only the parts you would use first.
Contents to explore
- Dashboard: Start a monthly review and follow a number back to its records.
- Settings: Choose the month before recording or reviewing.
- Monthly plan: See which categories explain the month.
- Budgets: Keep each month's plan independent; one year per workbook.
- Annual: Compare months without rewriting earlier plans.
- Transactions: Record actual spending once, then distinguish it from transfers and clearing.
- Categories: Define category IDs; enter each month separately in Budgets.
- Bills: Keep a future bill visible. It affects actual spending only when entered in Transactions.
- Goals: Review money set aside, without calling it a bank balance.
- Contributions: Record money actually put aside or taken back; this does not duplicate an expense.
- Start: Understand the colour conventions and boundaries first.
- Accounts: Review each account through the chosen review date. Negative card debt is valid.
- Reconciliation: Trace a statement difference. These recalculating comparisons do not change the register or freeze its history.
- Bill Links: Link an actual transaction to a bill reference so it can be reviewed against the planned amount.
- Bill Review: Compare bill expectations with linked recorded transactions and their remaining amount.
- Studio 5 Review: Review bill-link warnings alongside the inherited account and reconciliation checks.
- Period budget: Choose a date window. Compare its saved plan with actual transactions through the review date.
Both files are included. Choose which one you would open first in a desktop spreadsheet application.
Explore the worked example: Fictional records show how the sheets work together. Save a disposable copy before trying a change. household-budget-example.xlsx
Start my own working copy: Open the clean workbook after reading the guide. Keep the original and save a copy for your own records. household-budget-clean.xlsx
Follow the complete first taskUse the included guide and a disposable example copy.
Your first useful session / Start with the example
Match a statement without hiding pending money.
Follow this one complete task before entering your own records. Keep the blank original and save a working copy.
Start with Current account
The fictional account opens at 500. Find the receipts, purchases and transfer in Transactions.
Compare three figures
Accounts shows ledger 2,040, cleared 2,240 and pending transfer 200. Reconciliation compares the entered statement with the cleared figure.
Resolve the difference honestly
A statement can match while money is pending. Update each transfer side independently when it clears; keep transfers out of spending.
EVERY WORKSHEET / ACTUAL EXAMPLE FILE
See what you enter.
Understand what updates.
Inspect all 17 sheets. These are images of the delivered example, with fictional records. Open an image to read its full detail.
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Dashboard
The complete supplied dashboard: monthly spending and separate account position.
- You enter
- Review date, month and records in other sheets
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Month income, expense, difference, expense plan, reserves, bill counts and input warnings; Combined ledger/cleared balances, pending account entries and statement result counts
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Settings
Choose the month before recording or reviewing.
- You enter
- Household name, currency label, year, review month and review date
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Validation and the period used by all summaries
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Monthly plan
See which categories explain the month.
- You enter
- No direct entries; edit Budgets and Transactions
- Calculated or supplied reference
- 30 categories, planned/actual amounts, differences and over-plan actions
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Budgets
Keep each month's plan independent; one year per workbook.
- You enter
- 30 category IDs and 12 separately entered monthly amounts
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Selected-month amounts and validation
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Annual
Compare actual monthly records. Plans are not frozen historical snapshots.
- You enter
- No direct entries
- Calculated or supplied reference
- 12 months of actual income, net expenses and independently entered expense plans
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Transactions
Record actual spending once, then distinguish it from transfers and clearing.
- You enter
- 2,000 entries: stable ID, date, category, type, positive amount, source account and detail; Transfer destination and independent source/destination cleared dates
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Income/net expense and signed account movements; future-date and input checks
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Categories
Define category IDs; enter each month separately in Budgets.
- You enter
- 30 unique IDs, names and Income/Expense types; selected plan is calculated
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Identifier and type checks; selected monthly plan from Budgets
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Bills
Keep a future bill visible. It affects actual spending only when entered in Transactions.
- You enter
- 60 bill records: name, due date, amount, Open/Paid/Cancelled and note
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Overdue / next-seven-day / later actions
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Goals
Review money set aside, without calling it a bank balance.
- You enter
- 12 targets, opening reserves and an intended amount per contribution
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Current reserve, remaining amount and contributions left
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Contributions
Record money actually put aside or taken back; this does not duplicate an expense.
- You enter
- 100 dated reserve additions or withdrawals linked to Goal IDs
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Signed actual changes, future-date and identifier checks
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Start
Understand the colour conventions and boundaries first.
- You enter
- No routine input
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Six-step setup and review guide
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Accounts
See what each account contains, and what has cleared.
- You enter
- 12 unique text IDs, names, types, opening dates and signed opening balances
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Ledger and cleared balances, money in/out, pending count/net and opening-input checks
Actual example worksheet. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Reconciliation
Compare the cleared record on the statement date.
- You enter
- 144 unique statement IDs, linked account IDs, statement dates, signed balances and optional notes
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Historical balances, cent difference, pending count/net and input/result checks
Actual example worksheet · Preview range A1:G14. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Bill Links
Link an actual transaction to a bill reference so it can be reviewed against the planned amount.
- You enter
- 200 records in blue cells
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Linked input checks and explicitly labelled review values
Actual example worksheet · Preview range A1:G19. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Bill Review
Compare bill expectations with linked recorded transactions and their remaining amount.
- You enter
- Review only
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Linked input checks and explicitly labelled review values
Actual example worksheet · Preview range A1:E31. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Studio 5 Review
Review bill-link warnings alongside the inherited account and reconciliation checks.
- You enter
- Review only
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Linked input checks and explicitly labelled review values
Actual example worksheet · Preview range A1:H61. Image only; entries are made in your downloaded workbook.
Period budget
Choose a date window. Compare its saved plan with actual transactions through the review date.
- You enter
- From / To plus dated category plans in the table below; explicit zero when nothing is planned.
- Calculated or supplied reference
- Income, net expenses, differences and category warnings. A transfer never becomes spending.
BETWEEN PAYDAYS / ACTUAL SUPPLIED EXAMPLE
Two weeks have their own plan.
From 1–14 October 2026, saved expenses are EUR 1,320. Actual transactions through the 6 October review date total EUR 1,850: EUR 530 over plan. Groceries explain EUR 280 of that difference.
Save From, To and category ID with each plan. Change the report dates without moving those saved records. Missing stays blank; enter zero deliberately. Transfers are excluded and refunds reduce expenses.
Inspect Period budgetImage from the paid example XLSX. Report only; it does not edit your workbook. Income less expenses is a flow, never an account balance.
Follow the supplied fictional exampleRead the inputs and the result together
From the supplied fictional example
Current and Savings clear on different days.
Current starts with 500, receives 3,000 and has 1,260 of cleared purchases and bills. Its 200 transfer is recorded but has not cleared on the source side: the ledger is 2,040 and the cleared balance is 2,240. Savings started at 1,000 and its transfer side has cleared, giving 1,200. The entered Current statement matches 2,240 while its transfer is still pending. The workbook also contains a separate Card account with two pending purchases; all figures are fictional, not a recommended budget or a bank connection.
- Current opening
- EUR 500
- Cleared receipts / spending
- EUR 3,000 / 1,260
- Transfer to Savings
- EUR 200
- Entered Current statement
- EUR 2,240
- Current ledger / cleared
- EUR 2,040 / 2,240
- Current pending transfer
- EUR 200
- Savings ledger / cleared
- EUR 1,200 / 1,200
- Current statement difference
- EUR 0.00
Follow a real workbook rule
A statement can match while money is still pending.
The supplied Current account starts at 500. Receipts and non-transfer spending are cleared; its 200 transfer to Savings is pending on the source side. Amounts are fictional EUR. Use a decimal point and up to two decimal places.
Choose Compare the balances to see the result.
A small browser explanation of the supplied account, not a workbook editor or a bank connection. In the full file, dates, other accounts, refunds and both transfer sides have their own records. Your inputs here are neither submitted nor saved.
Try the separate monthly spending exampleSee how refunds affect spending and transfers stay separate
Try the calculation
Keep a transfer out of spending.
Change the fictional inputs below and compare the result. Nothing is submitted or saved.
Choose Calculate example to see the result.
A small browser demonstration of selected calculation rules. It does not open or edit the downloadable workbook. The kit contains the full records and planning views.
From setup to a regular review
How you use it.
Open the 8-step setup and review routineInputs, calculations and the decision each step supports
- 01
Plan the window before the next payday
You enterOpen Period budget. Choose From / To; save one dated plan per category below the report. Enter zero deliberately.
CalculatedActuals use existing valid Transactions up to the review date. Refunds reduce expense; transfers do not enter spending.
Your next stepResolve source and plan warnings, then review where actuals differ from the chosen plan. Different windows remain separate.
- 02
Set the opening position
You enterChoose currency, budget year and review date. Give each account a stable text ID, opening date and balance immediately before that date; card debt is negative.
CalculatedAccount balances add linked movements from the opening date through the review date. Cleared balances use each side’s cleared date.
Your next stepStart from an opening figure you can confirm in your own records.
- 03
Give each month its own plan
You enterDefine Categories, then enter twelve separate amounts per category in Budgets.
CalculatedMonthly plan and Annual compare those entered plans with transactions through the review date.
Your next stepChanging one month’s plan does not rewrite another month.
- 04
Record a purchase, refund or transfer once
You enterEnter a positive amount and a source Account ID. A Transfer also needs its destination ID; enter source/destination cleared dates independently.
CalculatedRefund reduces the recorded expense. Transfer moves between accounts without creating income or spending. Future movements remain planned.
Your next stepA card purchase is an Expense; a payment between your tracked accounts is a Transfer.
- 05
Compare a statement on its own date
You enterEnter the statement’s account, date and signed closing balance in Reconciliation. A real zero is valid; a blank amount needs correction.
CalculatedThe historical cleared balance minus your entered statement is rounded to cents. A one-cent difference is still a difference.
Your next stepReview dates, amounts and pending entries. A match is only a manual comparison; never add an invented transaction.
- 06
Keep bills and goal reserves distinct
You enterMaintain bill status yourself. Record a goal contribution or withdrawal only when it happened.
CalculatedBill actions use due dates. Goal reserves use opening allocation plus actual changes; neither creates a transaction.
Your next stepTreat income less expense as a monthly flow and goal reserves as allocated money, not additional account balances.
- 07
Save the review
You enterResolve warnings, inspect account and category records, then save a dated copy and a backup.
CalculatedSource errors suppress account totals. Statement comparisons recalculate if earlier records change.
Your next stepKeep your own snapshots. Carry openings manually for a new year; no automatic bank import or migration is included.
- 08
Bills can point to the actual spending.
You enterLink an existing expense or refund to a bill once, then compare the bill amount with those linked records. Account clearing and reconciliation remain separate.
CalculatedNew views include inherited and new input warnings before showing dependent totals.
Your next stepKeep planned choices separate from actual records.
17 sheets. Inspect each one.Inputs, outputs and when to use every worksheet
DashboardOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- Review date, month and records in other sheets
Calculated or reference
- Month income, expense, difference, expense plan, reserves, bill counts and input warnings
- Combined ledger/cleared balances, pending account entries and statement result counts
Start a monthly review and follow a number back to its records.
Inspect the actual Dashboard sheetSettingsOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- Household name, currency label, year, review month and review date
Calculated or reference
- Validation and the period used by all summaries
Choose the month before recording or reviewing.
Inspect the actual Settings sheetMonthly planOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- No direct entries; edit Budgets and Transactions
Calculated or reference
- 30 categories, planned/actual amounts, differences and over-plan actions
See which categories explain the month.
Inspect the actual Monthly plan sheetBudgetsOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- 30 category IDs and 12 separately entered monthly amounts
Calculated or reference
- Selected-month amounts and validation
Keep each month's plan independent; one year per workbook.
Inspect the actual Budgets sheetAnnualOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- No direct entries
Calculated or reference
- 12 months of actual income, net expenses and independently entered expense plans
Compare months without rewriting earlier plans.
Inspect the actual Annual sheetTransactionsOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- 2,000 entries: stable ID, date, category, type, positive amount, source account and detail
- Transfer destination and independent source/destination cleared dates
Calculated or reference
- Income/net expense and signed account movements; future-date and input checks
Record actual spending once, then distinguish it from transfers and clearing.
Inspect the actual Transactions sheetCategoriesOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- 30 unique IDs, names and Income/Expense types; selected plan is calculated
Calculated or reference
- Identifier and type checks; selected monthly plan from Budgets
Define category IDs; enter each month separately in Budgets.
Inspect the actual Categories sheetBillsOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- 60 bill records: name, due date, amount, Open/Paid/Cancelled and note
Calculated or reference
- Overdue / next-seven-day / later actions
Keep a future bill visible. It affects actual spending only when entered in Transactions.
Inspect the actual Bills sheetGoalsOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- 12 targets, opening reserves and an intended amount per contribution
Calculated or reference
- Current reserve, remaining amount and contributions left
Review money set aside, without calling it a bank balance.
Inspect the actual Goals sheetContributionsOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- 100 dated reserve additions or withdrawals linked to Goal IDs
Calculated or reference
- Signed actual changes, future-date and identifier checks
Record money actually put aside or taken back; this does not duplicate an expense.
Inspect the actual Contributions sheetStartOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- No routine input
Calculated or reference
- Six-step setup and review guide
Understand the colour conventions and boundaries first.
Inspect the actual Start sheetAccountsOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- 12 unique text IDs, names, types, opening dates and signed opening balances
Calculated or reference
- Ledger and cleared balances, money in/out, pending count/net and opening-input checks
Review each account through the chosen review date. Negative card debt is valid.
Inspect the actual Accounts sheetReconciliationOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- 144 unique statement IDs, linked account IDs, statement dates, signed balances and optional notes
Calculated or reference
- Historical balances, cent difference, pending count/net and input/result checks
Trace a statement difference. These recalculating comparisons do not change the register or freeze its history.
Inspect the actual Reconciliation sheetBill LinksOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- 200 records in blue cells
Calculated or reference
- Linked input checks and explicitly labelled review values
Link an actual transaction to a bill reference so it can be reviewed against the planned amount.
Inspect the actual Bill Links sheetBill ReviewOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- Review only
Calculated or reference
- Linked input checks and explicitly labelled review values
Compare bill expectations with linked recorded transactions and their remaining amount.
Inspect the actual Bill Review sheetStudio 5 ReviewOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- Review only
Calculated or reference
- Linked input checks and explicitly labelled review values
Review bill-link warnings alongside the inherited account and reconciliation checks.
Inspect the actual Studio 5 Review sheetPeriod budgetOpen sheet details
Editable inputs
- Report From / To dates.
- 600 saved category-plan records: dates, category ID, amount and note.
Calculated or reference
- Exact-window category plan, actual income / net expenses and actual-minus-plan variance.
- Missing plans, duplicate plans and source warnings.
Review a week, fortnight or another explicit window. Keep monthly and account jobs in their original sheets.
Inspect the actual Period budget sheetCompare with a manual starting pointWhat the connected workbook adds
| What is included | Free tools on this website | Household Budget Workbook 2.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Record structure | Separate small browser planning tools | 17 connected XLSX sheets; 12 accounts, 2,000 transactions and 600 dated category-plan records |
| Account review | No linked account or statement register | Ledger/cleared balances, independent transfer sides and 144 statement comparisons |
| Monthly plan | Small independent planning calculations where stated | 12 separately entered category plans, actuals, Annual, Bills and Goals |
| Files and storage | Local browser draft and JSON backup; no paid workbook | Clean/example XLSX; eight-page A4 and US Letter guide variants; your own saved copies |
Files, capacities and practical limitsRead these before choosing your working copy
The download
Files with a purpose.
household-budget-clean.xlsx
17 connected sheets with blank records for your own use.
household-budget-example.xlsx
The same 17 sheets with fictional openings, movements, statements and dated category plans.
START_HERE.pdf
Your single guide to setup, the first useful task, file recovery, practical limits and license.
English labels and guides. Dates show month names. Keep a copy and backups.
Before you choose
Fit and practical limits.
- A household keeping a current account, savings and a credit card in one manual record.
- Someone who wants to explain a statement difference and compare category spending with the monthly plan.
Understand the boundaries.
- Manual records and statement comparisons; no bank connection, automatic import, payment, interest, tax or investment calculations.
- One currency and budget year per file. Enter each monthly plan separately; new-year opening balances are carried manually.
- 12 accounts, 144 statement comparisons and 2,000 transactions. Fixed capacities; resolve input warnings before using results.
- Monthly income less expense is a flow. Goal reserves allocate existing money and are not extra account balances.
- Bill status is manual; bills and goal contributions do not automatically create transactions.
- Statement comparisons recalculate with edited history; they are not frozen audit snapshots or bank verification.
- Keep account/category IDs stable. Mixed-category purchases need separate manual rows. There is no automatic migration from 1.1.
- Period plans use an exact From / To / category ID match. Overlapping windows are separate, not combined or prorated. 600 rows are category-plan records, not 600 complete budgets.
Desktop spreadsheet software is required and not included. Native Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers compatibility remains unverified in this private preview.
Household Budget Workbook / Version 2.4
Your own working copy.
Clean workbook, separate example and one START_HERE.pdf guide covering setup, practical limits and the internal-use license.
$4.90USD · One-time purchaseVAT included where applicable. Other applicable taxes are shown at checkout.
Desktop spreadsheet software required; it is not included. Native Excel compatibility is still awaiting verification.
Private preview. Purchases are unavailable while the files and delivery are verified.
Questions about this workbook
The details that affect your choice.
Can I budget weekly or between paydays?
Yes. Period budget accepts an inclusive From / To window and uses the existing transaction record through your review date. Save each category plan with that exact date pair. Switching dates does not move plans; overlapping windows are not combined or prorated. Missing plans stay blank, while an explicit zero is valid. Monthly plans and account reconciliation remain separate.
Does it connect to my bank?
No. You enter openings, transactions and statement balances. There are no bank logins, imports or payments.
How do transfers and card payments work?
Use one Transfer row with different source/destination Account IDs. Each side has its own cleared date. A payment between tracked accounts is not a second expense; keep the original card purchase as the Expense.
Why can a statement match while money is pending?
The statement is compared with the cleared record on its date. A recorded transaction with a blank or later cleared date is still pending, so it can change the ledger without changing that statement comparison.
Are statement comparisons permanent audit records?
No. The 144 comparisons recalculate if you edit historical openings, movements or clearing dates. Save dated copies for your own snapshots. A match means the entered figures agree to the cent; it is not external bank verification.
Are savings goals counted as extra money?
No. Goals and Contributions describe an allocation of money already held. They do not add to account balances or generate transfers. Bills also need their actual transactions entered separately.
Can I compare every month?
Each month has its own entered category plan. Annual uses recorded dates through the review date. One currency and budget year per file; carry account openings manually for a new year.
Can I keep using my 1.1 records?
Preserve the original and start a fresh 1.2 copy. Map account notes to stable IDs, confirm opening balances and identify transfer destinations/cleared dates. Copy input fields only and compare totals. No automatic migration is included.