Simple Expense Tracker Google Sheets Tutorial | Track Expenses & Budget Easily, by Smart Kit Designs on YouTube. 6 min 30 s.
- Video length
- 6 min 30 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open the tracker template in Google Sheets and read the Read Me tab first. It explains how the tabs connect and which cells you should edit.
Click File, then Make a copy, and rename it with the month and year. Keep one copy per month so past budgets stay intact.
Go to the setup tab and enter your currency, the start and end dates of the budget period, and your total monthly budget.
Edit the category list to match your spending, such as rent, groceries, transport and fun. Add or remove rows as needed.
Add your payment accounts, for example checking, credit card or cash, so each expense can be tagged to the right one.
Log each purchase in the transactions tab with the date, amount, category and account. Add a short note if it helps you remember.
Enter expenses as you spend, or once a week from your statements, so the totals stay current.
Open the dashboard tab to check your totals, category breakdown and charts. Compare spending against your budget.
Review the charts for the biggest categories and adjust next month's budget or category limits.
Tips and common mistakes
Log expenses the same day if you can, because catching up on a month of receipts is slow and easy to get wrong.
Do not type over formula cells in the dashboard, or the totals and charts will stop updating.
Use consistent category names so the charts group your spending correctly.
Keep the template in Google Drive and open it on your phone to log purchases on the go.
Questions
Do I need to pay for a template?
No. You can build the same layout in a blank Google Sheet with a date, description, category, account and amount column, then add a SUMIF formula for totals. A ready-made template just saves setup time.
How do I start a new month without losing last month's data?
Make a copy of the file and rename it for the new month, or clear only the transaction rows in the same file. Keeping a copy per month gives you a clean history to compare.
Can I share the tracker with a partner?
Yes. Use the Share button in Google Sheets and give them edit access, so you both log expenses into the same file.
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.
