How To Make A Budget Plan For Students, by Darley Woolley on YouTube. 6 min 59 s.
- Video length
- 6 min 59 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open Google Sheets and click Blank spreadsheet to create a new file. Give it a clear name such as Student budget 2026.
Type your column headers in row 1: Category, Planned, Actual and Difference. Make the row bold so it stands out.
Under Category, list your income sources first, such as job, allowance or scholarship. Put each one on its own row.
Add your expense categories below the income: rent, food, transport, phone, books, clothes and fun. Keep the list short and honest.
Type the planned amount for each row in the Planned column. Use your real monthly figures, not hopeful ones.
Add a Total row at the bottom of each group and use =SUM to add the numbers. Type =SUM(B2:B8) and press Enter.
In the Difference column, subtract planned from actual with a formula like =B2-C2. A minus number means you overspent.
Select the money columns and click Format, then Number, then Currency so every amount shows a currency symbol.
Each week, fill in the Actual column from your bank app or receipts. Check the totals to see where you stand.
Tips and common mistakes
Update the Actual column weekly, because catching an overspend early is easier than fixing it at month end.
Add a small buffer row for irregular costs like haircuts, gifts and repairs so they do not break the plan.
Keep to around ten categories, since long lists are hard to keep up with.
Do not mix income and expenses in the same total row, or the numbers will cancel each other out.
Questions
Can I use Excel instead of Google Sheets?
Yes. The same headers and SUM formulas work in Excel, and the file saves to your computer instead of the cloud.
How much detail should a student budget have?
Enough to see where your money goes. Rent, food, transport and phone are a good start, plus one row for fun spending.
Do I need to know spreadsheet formulas?
No. You only need =SUM to add a column and a simple subtraction for the Difference column. Both are typed once and copied down.
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.
