EASY Automated Budget + Expense Tracker Tutorial, by Binta Komma on YouTube. 27 min 9 s.
- Video length
- 27 min 9 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open Google Sheets and create a blank spreadsheet. Name it something like Budget 2026 so you can find it later.
Build the layout in rows: a header row for categories, then separate blocks for income, fixed expenses, variable expenses, savings and debt. Leave a column for budgeted amount and one for actual amount.
Fill in the income block with expected income and actual income. Add a row that subtracts actual from expected so you see the difference.
List your fixed expenses such as rent, insurance and subscriptions, and add a savings box and a debt box with the balance and minimum payment for each.
Add your variable expenses like groceries, fuel and eating out. Give each one a budgeted amount and an actual amount you update as you spend.
Insert the formulas. Use SUM for totals in each block, then subtract total expenses from total income to get a Left Over figure. Point the actual column at the cells you will type spending into.
Add conditional formatting to the expense cells so they turn red when the actual amount goes over the budgeted amount.
Select the whole month block, copy it, and paste it into 11 more sheets or columns for the other months. Check that the formulas still point to the right cells.
Test the sheet with one real week of spending. Type in a few actual amounts and confirm the Left Over number and the red warnings update correctly.
Tips and common mistakes
Type a dollar sign in front of cell references like $B$4 when you copy formulas so they keep pointing to the same cell.
Keep the actual column empty until money is really spent, otherwise your Left Over figure will be wrong.
Update the sheet once a week instead of daily so you do not fall behind.
Save a copy of the finished template before you start filling in real numbers.
Questions
Do I need spreadsheet experience?
No. If you can type text into cells and copy and paste, you can build this. The formulas are simple sums and subtractions.
Can I use Excel instead of Google Sheets?
Yes. The same layout and SUM formulas work in Excel, though conditional formatting and copying months may work slightly differently.
How do I make the sheet update automatically each month?
Copy the finished month block to new sheets and adjust the references. The video's advanced version adds dropdowns and an annual summary.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
