Monthly budget worksheet: what to include and how to fill it in

The short answer: a monthly budget template is a one-page plan for the month: take-home income at the top, then fixed bills, everyday spending, savings and debt payments.

• Two columns: planned and actual for each line
• Balanced when income minus everything assigned equals zero
• Write income first, then list fixed bills
• A filled-in example and printable or Excel options
• Next step: Plan it with the Budget Planner Printable ($5.99).

A monthly budget worksheet, or monthly budget template, is a one-page plan for the month: your take-home income at the top, then fixed bills, everyday spending, savings and debt payments, with a planned and an actual column for each line. When planned income minus everything you've assigned equals zero, the worksheet is balanced and every dollar has a job.

For a printed version, our Budget Planner Printable has twelve undated monthly budget pages plus bill, spending, savings and debt trackers.

Below is what a good worksheet includes, a filled-in example and how to use it during the month. To plan the rest of the month, including appointments, bills and events, use a monthly planner alongside the worksheet. If you're new to this, start with what a budget is and a simple example.

Want the math done for you first? Enter your take-home pay and bills in our free budget calculator to see what's left and how your spending compares with the 50/30/20 rule, then copy the numbers onto this worksheet.

What a monthly budget worksheet includes

A useful worksheet has five sections, in this order:

1. Income. Every paycheck and other money expected this month, after tax.
2. Fixed bills. Housing, utilities, insurance, phone, internet, childcare, car payment.
3. Variable spending. Groceries, fuel, household items, personal care, eating out, fun.
4. Savings. Emergency fund, sinking funds for yearly costs, other goals.
5. Debt payments. Minimums plus any extra payment.

Each line needs two numbers: planned (written on the first of the month) and actual (filled in as you go or at month end). The difference between them is where you learn the most.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey shows how typical households split spending across categories. For a simple starting split, try the 50/30/20 budget rule.

A filled-in example

Want to see the same idea for a small business or a household month? Read our cash flow statement example.

This household planned every dollar. At month end, groceries, eating out and electricity ran over by $113 combined, while fuel, household items and fun money came in $113 under, so the month still balanced. Next month they might move $40 from fun money to groceries, which is a more honest plan.

How to fill it in, step by step

1. Write income first, using what will actually land in your account.
2. List fixed bills from your bank statement so none are missed.
3. Estimate variable spending from the last two or three months, not from what you hope to spend.
4. Add savings and debt payments as lines, not as "whatever's left".
5. Balance it. If the total is more than income, cut variable lines until it isn't. If it's less, assign the extra to a goal.
6. Track during the month. Write purchases in an expense log, or total receipts weekly. A free printable check register also keeps your checking balance current between paydays. Side-hustle sales and costs belong in their own business expense spreadsheet, not on the household worksheet.
7. Review at month end, fill the actual column, and carry the lessons into next month's worksheet.

The CFPB's budgeting guide follows the same steps: record income, track spending by category, then build the budget.

Paper or spreadsheet?

Paper worksheets suit people who like a visible plan on the fridge and who stay engaged by writing (our printable planners are made for this, and a printable budget binder keeps the pages together). Spreadsheets add up the columns for you, show over-budget lines in color and keep 12 months side by side. Our comparison of printable vs. spreadsheet budgets goes deeper, and our walkthrough of how to use a budget planner covers the weekly routine.

A monthly bill tracker printable shows what's paid at a glance.

Worksheets we make

• Budget Planner Printable ($5.99): a monthly budget page plus an income tracker, expense log, bill payment tracker, debt and savings trackers, sinking funds and an annual summary. Undated, so print a fresh worksheet every month.
• Monthly Budget Planner (paperback, coming soon): a bound, undated paperback with a monthly budget that has income and 20 expense categories, a bill tracker, expense logs and a monthly review for each month. Until it's available, use the Budget Planner Printable ($5.99) above.
• Annual Budget Spreadsheet ($6.99): 12 monthly tabs with planned vs. actual by category, over-budget alerts in red and a year dashboard, for Excel and Google Sheets.
• Zero-Based Budget Spreadsheet ($6.99): a "left to budget" counter on every month that tells you when the worksheet is balanced.

To spread irregular costs across all 12 months, see the annual budget template guide.

Monthly budget template examples by method

The same one-page template works with any budgeting method; only the way you fill the plan column changes. Here's how a $4,600 take-home month looks under three common approaches:

The 50/30/20 rule is a quick starting point, zero-based budgeting gives every dollar a job, the zero-based budget spreadsheet does the every-dollar math, and the budget calculator checks any of them as you type. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's budgeting guide walks through tracking spending first, which makes the plan column much more accurate.

Monthly budget template for couples

Couples can use one template with a few extra lines:

• List both incomes separately so each person sees what they bring in, then total them.
• Mark each bill as joint or individual. Joint bills come out of shared money; individual bills come out of personal money.
• Agree on a personal spending line for each person that needs no explanation. It prevents most budget arguments.
• Set shared goals as savings lines, such as an emergency fund, a vacation or a down payment.
• Hold a short monthly budget meeting to fill in actuals and plan next month. Our guide to budgeting as a couple covers how to run one.

Monthly budget template in Excel or Google Sheets

If you'd rather type than write, set up columns for Category, Planned, Actual and Difference, with a formula such as =B2-C2 in the difference column and =SUM() totals at the bottom of each section. Add one row that subtracts total planned spending from income so you can see at a glance whether the month balances. Copy the tab each month and rename it. Our annual budget spreadsheet does this for twelve months with totals already built in.

Budgeting by paycheck on the same worksheet

If you're paid weekly or every two weeks, split the worksheet into columns by payday. List each bill under the paycheck that arrives before its due date, then divide variable spending between them. Rent due on the 1st might come from the last paycheck of the previous month; the car payment on the 20th from the mid-month check. This stops the common problem of a fully balanced month that still runs short in week two. The paycheck budget planner guide shows the method in detail.

Tips that make the worksheet stick

• Use round numbers for planning. $700 is easier to remember than $683.
• Add a buffer line of $50 to $100 for small surprises.
• Plan irregular months. Some months include a third paycheck, school costs or a birthday. Note them on the worksheet ahead of time.
• Review weekly, not only at month end. Fifteen minutes on Sunday catches overspending while there's still time to adjust.

New to all of this? Our budgeting for beginners guide and zero-based budget guide explain the method behind the worksheet.

Fill in the worksheet together at a monthly family budget meeting, and look for savings with our guide on how to lower monthly bills.

Budgeting for more than one person? Our household budget template guide shows how to set up one shared plan for everyone under your roof.

Filling in the worksheet for the first time? Use our recommended budget percentages as a starting point for each category.