Paycheck Budget Template for Biweekly Pay | Excel & Google Sheets, 26 Paydays, by MMO on YouTube. 4 min 25 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 25 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
On the setup sheet, enter your first payday of the year, the days between paychecks (14 for every two weeks, 7 for weekly) and your take-home pay per check.
List each recurring bill on the bills sheet with the day of the month it leaves your account and whether it is due every month, every paycheck or once a year.
Check the columns that show each bill per year, per paycheck and as a share of your pay, so you can spot the heavy ones.
For a bill due on the 29th, 30th or 31st, let the sheet count it on the last day of a shorter month instead of rolling it into the next month.
Build the paycheck plan: all 26 paydays in date order, the bills due inside each one, what is left over, a running balance and a verdict per paycheck.
If your first payday comes up short, move a bill to a later paycheck or carry a small buffer from the check before it.
Find your two three-paycheck months by reading the actual dates, not by counting weeks, then decide what share of each extra check goes to savings.
Lay out a real month grid for the bill calendar, put paydays and bills on the days they land, and mark the months that hold a third payday.
Add sinking funds with a target amount, what you have saved, what is still needed, the paydays left before the date and the amount to set aside per check.
Log each purchase with a date and an amount so the sheet assigns it to the right paycheck, then read the dashboard for paydays, extra checks and your lowest balance.
Tips and common mistakes
Biweekly pay gives 26 checks a year, not 24, so two months quietly hold a third one and that is where the breathing room comes from.
This method only fits weekly and every-two-weeks pay. If you are paid twice a month or monthly, use a monthly budget instead.
Nothing connects to your bank, so every figure is one you type in. Round your take-home pay down a little to leave room for small deductions.
Lock or protect the formula cells once the sheet works, so a stray click does not break the maths.
Questions
Why does a biweekly budget use 26 paychecks instead of 24?
Every two weeks gives 26 checks in a year, and two months end up with three paydays. Those two extra checks are the ones a monthly budget hides.
Will this work in Google Sheets as well as Excel?
Yes. The file uses plain formulas with no macros or add-ons, so it opens in both. Import the Excel file into Google Sheets and the tabs and formulas carry over.
What if a bill is due on the 31st?
The sheet counts it on the last day of a shorter month rather than pushing it into the next month, so February and April do not get double charges.
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.
