Free budget spreadsheet (UK): how to set one up in an evening
A plain guide to starting a free budget spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets, in pounds, with free templates we've checked.
You don’t need to pay for a budget spreadsheet. A free template and one quiet evening will get you most of the way. Here’s how to do it, plus a few free templates we’ve checked.
1. Pick a template that matches your life
- On your own: a simple personal budget is plenty.
- As a household: use one with space for more than one income.
- Paid weekly or fortnightly: look for a sheet that handles real pay dates (see our budget roundup).
Personal Budget Spreadsheet
by Vertex42
A single-person monthly budget with planned versus actual columns.
Family Budget Planner
by Vertex42
A household budget worksheet laying out monthly income and spending by category.
2. Set it to pounds
In Excel, select the money cells and choose Format Cells, then Currency, then £. In Google Sheets, use Format, then Number, then Currency, and set the spreadsheet’s locale to United Kingdom under File, then Settings, so dates read day-first too.
3. Fill in the fixed stuff first
Rent or mortgage, council tax, energy, water, phone, broadband, insurance, subscriptions and debt payments. Use your bank statements, not your memory. Bills you only pay once a year (car insurance, the TV licence) can be divided by twelve and put aside monthly.
4. Give the rest a job
Food, travel, kids, savings, fun. If you want a method with more structure, Aspire’s free Google Sheets template uses envelope-style, zero-based budgeting.
Aspire Budgeting (core template)
by Aspire Budgeting
An envelope-style zero-based budget built in Google Sheets.
5. Check in weekly for a month
Ten minutes on a Sunday. Note what you actually spent next to what you planned. By week four you’ll know which numbers were wishful.
If money is tight
StepChange, a UK debt charity, offers a free budgeting guide and downloadable budget form, with free debt advice alongside.
Making a Budget Plan
by StepChange
A UK debt charity's budgeting guide with a downloadable budget form.
When it might be worth paying
Free sheets cover the basics. Paid ones usually add dashboards, goal tracking or help with irregular pay. Budget Grid (£4.99, made by us) is ours: matching Excel and Google Sheets versions, and you can insert rows in the transaction register without breaking formulas. You can compare it with other paid options in the budget roundup.
Budget Grid
by HustlePilot
A seven-tab personal budget with categories, transactions, monthly and annual views and goals, in matching Excel and Google Sheets versions.
Questions
What's the simplest budget method?
List what comes in each month, list your fixed bills, then give the rest a job: food, travel, savings, fun. If the total is negative, something has to change.
Should I budget monthly or by pay day?
Budget the way you're paid. Monthly salary suits a monthly sheet. Weekly or fortnightly pay is easier with a sheet that follows real pay dates.
Where can I get free help if I'm in debt?
StepChange is a UK debt charity with a free budgeting guide and free debt advice.