FREE Easy & Fast Annual Budget Template | Google Sheets, by Jack Clemans, CFP® on YouTube. 27 min 28 s.
- Video length
- 27 min 28 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open the creator's website and go to the Resources tab. Find the free Annual Budget Template and download or copy it.
If you get a file, upload it to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. If you get a shared sheet, choose File then Make a copy and save it to your own Drive.
Read the Intro page first. It explains how the pages connect and where to start entering your numbers.
Go to the Annual Summary page. Enter your income sources and expected amounts for the year in the rows provided.
Fill in your expense categories on the same page, such as housing, food, transport and savings. Use the category labels already in the sheet.
Check the summary totals and any charts or comparison cells. They update as you type, so fix any category that looks wrong.
Open a Monthly page and enter that month's actual income and spending in the matching categories.
Repeat for each month. Keep the category names identical to the summary page so the totals roll up correctly.
Review the annual summary again at month end. Compare planned versus actual and adjust next month's numbers.
Tips and common mistakes
Make your own copy before typing anything so the original stays blank for next year.
Do not rename or delete category rows, or the summary formulas may stop adding them up.
Enter real numbers from bank statements rather than guesses for the first month.
Update it once a month on a fixed date so it does not pile up.
Questions
Do I need to pay for the template?
No. The creator offers it free through the Resources tab on their website. You only need a Google account to use it in Sheets.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes, the Google Sheets app opens it, but typing many numbers is faster on a computer. The layout is easier to read on a larger screen.
What if I miss a month?
Fill in the missing month from your bank statements when you can. The annual summary still works, but your totals will be off until the month is entered.
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.
