Who doesn't want to have more money? Who doesn't get stressed out because of money or a lack of money? I think most people would agree to both of these statements.
The good news is, that most people can make nice improvements to their personal finances by doing something as easy as creating a budget.
What is a budget template?
Budget templates help you manage budgets with the help of a single document. You can tailor the budget according to your personal finance requirements.
While some people may choose to create their own budget from scratch, it's much easier to just use a budget template that is already created for you.
With a budget template, everything has been setup for you. All you have to do is follow it and make sure you update it. It's much easier than creating your own budget from scratch.
Do I need a personal budget?
Yes, if you want to have strong money habits and take control of your finances, you should have a personal budget.
Some people are better with money than others but even if you already have good money habits, it's important to still keep a have a budget plan and track your spending.
If you have bad spending habits, its especially important to use a budget. Often, people overlook the "small" expenses thinking they are nothing, but in reality, they add up to a lot.
These are things you might not notice until you create a budget a start tracking your money.
Additional benefits using a monthly budget
- See your spending habits so you can make adjustments
- Keep track of debt payments and savings
- Organize your expenses by categories
- Figure out your monthly cash flow so you can plan better
- See how much money you have actually have
- Track income and expenses
How do I set financial goals?
One of the first steps of setting up your budget template is to set your financial goals. Without goals, you're not going to know what to work for.
The best way to set your financial goals is to think about what you want financially, both long and short term, then build a plan out with smaller steps that leads up to the larger goal.
Once these are figured out and written down, it'll be easier to break them down and create a budget to reach them.
Ideas for financial goals:
- Save for a house
- Buy a new car
- Pay off current debt
- Build an emergency fund
- Create and save for a college fund
- Increase your savings
What kind of budget templates are available?
We offer several different budget templates depending on which one is right for you. Since people are all different and prefer different methods of working, we try to accommodate as many people as possible.
Giving you the option to different budgeting templates means you'll be more likely to be successful with your budget. Budgeting isn't always easy but it's what has to be done.
Below we'll outline some of the different budgeting templates that we offer.
Digital Budget Template
This is one of our most popular options. Digital planning has become very popular over the last few years and for good reason and budgeting is one of the top uses.
First, if you are unfamiliar with digital planning, you can read more about it here and determine if it is right for you.
Budgeting is easy with our digital budget template. You have everything you need to create a full and complete budget.
Digital Budget Planner Sections
- Goals
- Monthly budget worksheet
- Transaction activity
- Debt repayment tracker
- Savings tracker
- Wishlist planner
- Credit tracker
- Yearly summary
- Notes
As you can see, this budget template offers everything you need to take complete control of your finances. You'll be able to track your spending, see your income, pay off credit cards, track your saving, see your monthly cash flow, and have a better understanding of your personal finances.
If you don't want the digital option, you'll see we also have a solution for you that allows you to still enjoy the same budget template.
Printable Budget Template
This is a very basic planner style where all you have to do is print it out. If you want something that is physical paper and you write on with a pen and paper, this is probably the option for you.
It still offers all same aspects as our digital budget template but without the need of a tablet or device. You can just print it from your computer and create your own budget binder.
Looking for something a little more automated, that is where our budget spreadsheet comes in.
You can view the printable budget template here.
Budget Spreadsheet Template
This can be used with Google Sheets on your computer, tablet, or phone.
The budget spreadsheet gives you a bit of automation. Since formulas have been created, all you have to do is enter the data such as income and expenses, payments, categories, etc and the spreadsheet will do all the calculation.
This is an excellent tool to help you track your money. You start by creating your household budget, setup the categories, enter in financial account information, then you just had to enter new data as it comes in.
You can periodically add your income and expenses and it will do the rest of the work for you. Then, all you have to do is manage the spreadsheet.
So all you need is Google Sheets and this budgeting template and you can get started.
How do I know what kind is right for me?
One way to figure out what type of budget template is right for you is to think about each one and determine your preference.
Do you like old fashion pen and paper? The printable budget template is going to be perfect for you.
Do you like pen and paper but also like doing things on your tablet? This is where the digital budget template shines.
If you're more of a computer person and enjoy using Excel or Google Sheets, then the Excel budget template is going to be best for you.
Also, you don't have to choose just one. You can always get multiple and try them out, or even use more than one at a time.
The digital and printable planners do offer a slightly different planning template than the spreadsheet version.
Bonus: Step up your nest egg game with a money saving challenge
How many times have you tried to save money and found it much harder than you expected. Sure, you can budget some of your income for saving and this is good, but what if we had a more fun way to do it.
The challenges basically make a game out of it. You pick the challenge you want, our Saving Challenge Planner offers several different challenges and you just follow it and put aside money when it tells you to.
You can do 30 day challenges, 52 week, 3 month, or make you own. Pick the amount and everything. They offer a lot of flexibility to help you be successful.
Focus on the end goal
It's important to realize, that no matter what kind of budget template you pick, you focus on the end goal.
Typically, the end goal is going to improve your personal finances in some way. You should always try and be as specific as possible with your goals.
A bad goal would be something along the lines of "Make enough money to retire", instead you should make it "Retire at 60 with $2.5 million". This goal is more specific and had a time frame added to it.
When your goals are structured this way, it makes it easier to track and manage them. You know where you need to be, they can be broken down into smaller goals that you can focus on in the short term.
By being consistent, you can completely change your financial habits. You can fix poor spending habits and increase the actual amount you put away.
Over time, by saving more and spending less money, you'll slowly build up a surplus of money that you can have for things you really want. You can put it towards a car, a house, retirement or anything that makes you happy.
Get started today
Hopefully you have found all of this information on our budget templates helpful. At this point, you're ready to start your monthly budget template.
Why wait any longer. Take control of your financial future and enjoy the freedoms of more money.
Finances are not something to fool around with and you want time on your side. The sooner you take control of your financial life, the faster you will enjoy the benefits.
If it seems overwhelming, it's not as hard to manage a budget as you think. The hardest part of a monthly budget is getting started but once it's started, it's so easy to maintain.
So now that you're no longer scared of budgeting, lets get your setup with the perfect budget template for you.