10 Best Budget Templates & Tools That Will Change Your Life

We created our FREE simple budget template to be as straightforward and easy to use as possible. You can customize and use it for any financial situation!

Our free template is both printable as a budget worksheet and digitally like a spreadsheet that will auto-calculate for you.  

We found when you are first getting started with a monthly budget, nothing beats pen and paper, hence why we made a whole budget planner and some templates for you! We even have a meal plan template as well. 

Add your income at the top then subtract your fixed costs, variable expenses, debt, and savings then watch our digital budget auto-calculate your monthly cash flow at the bottom. 

You can head here to grab our FREE budget template now.

2. Google Sheets Budget Spreadsheet Template

Of course, Google never lets you down with its products and services!

Google Sheets has plenty of budget templates and spreadsheets to choose from, and unlike Microsoft Office, it’s free with your Gmail account. 

If you love looking at the numbers and tracking every last penny, then a Google Sheets budget spreadsheet will be perfect for you. 

This type of template is perfect for individuals that like complete control and are great with numbers. Using a budget spreadsheet is a very hands-on method of budgeting. 

3. Microsoft Excel Budget Template 

Microsoft Excel has some incredible budget templates that you can use if you have Microsoft Office, you can pick a budget spreadsheet for whatever suits your needs. 

Microsoft has a variety of products and services, and their templates range from personal family budgets, monthly budget templates, holiday budget templates, budget calculators, and even wedding budget trackers, they have plenty of free options to use. 

Each spreadsheet will come with basic expense categories for different situations, which you can change up how you need very easily.

If you can’t find a pre-made template that will fit your needs you can always learn how to create your own custom budget template in Excel. 

4. Mint (Free Budgeting App)

Mint is absolutely FREE and by far our favorite hands-off budgeting template.

If you want to automatically track your spending, know what your monthly cash flow is, and reach your financial goals, then Mint is the perfect budgeting solution for your budgeting needs. 

It automatically suggests budgeting categories for your income and spending- and the expense categories will help you figure out where your money goes and where you should be saving.

5. Empower (Formerly Personal Capital) – Free App!

Empower is another great free online budgeting tool to use to track your monthly and yearly finances.

Empower is great for understanding your monthly spending, cash flow, investments, retirement, and net worth. 

Out of all the budgeting apps, Empower easily takes the cake when it comes to its net worth tracker and retirement planning. 

We often go into our Empower account about once a month to look at the big picture of our finances and make sure we are hitting all of our goals. 

6. Vertex42 Free Budget Spreadsheets

Vertex42 has a huge collection of budgeting templates and worksheets for you to use. The best part is they are all free! 

Whether you are looking for a family budget planner, personal budget, money management system, monthly household budget, or a simple budget worksheet Vertex42 has you covered. 

We love that they have so many free templates for you to download and start using. They are simple and easy to use to help you get your money under control again. 

7. YNAB – (Paid App)

YNAB is one of the fastest-growing budgeting software we have ever seen. Unlike Mint, where you can set it and forget it, the budgeting system YNAB will keep you on your toes and force you to budget every single dollar. 

This is really a great budgeting software that is perfect for someone that does not have a lot of self-control. 

You can break down your finances over the span of multiple months, as shown above, to see how much of your money is being spent. I love the circle graph and the breakdown in percentages.

For a small fee of $6.99 per month, YNAB promises to help you take control of your finances.

8. EveryDollar (Paid App)

EveryDollar allows you to create your first budget in less than 10 minutes and easily track your spending throughout the month. EveryDollar easily has one of the best user experiences around with budgeting. 

The feel is very clean, organized, and as straightforward as they come. A crucial aspect of managing your money and learning how to budget. 

The mobile app is very convenient but does last some of the features that other apps have to help you better manage your money effectively. 

With a huge user base, you can’t go wrong with budgeting templates on EveryDollar. 

9. Mvelopes (Paid App)

If you love the concept of Dave Ramsey’s budget envelope system, then Mvelopes digital budgeting app will work great for you. 

I love how you can open different “envelopes” to check on how much you have budgeted, funded, and spent. A digital take on the classic envelope system.

You should note that this budgeting app is not free, and its monthly subscription costs around $5 per month. 

But the actual costs of some subscription apps can be worth it, and this one has grown a huge following.

10. Pocket Guard (Paid App)

Pocket Guard is designed to help overspenders track their spending and control their finances better. 

It’s a very friendly program to use, has some unique features, the ability to link with other financial products (like Mint), and its customer service department is top-notch. 

With Pocket Guard, you can easily set up budgets for different incomes and expenses or even for specific people. 

You can easily create different budgets for each credit card bill, set automated reminders and payments, and see your past balances as well as pay-off date progress.

FAQS

What is a personal budget template?

A personal budget template helps you track your monthly income and expenses with accuracy- so you easily manage your money and know exactly where your money is going each month.

Budget templates can be printable, digital (budget spreadsheets), or even a simple user-friendly mobile app. 

Over time your budget will show you your spending habits. This will allow you to see where you are wasting money and make a better plan for the future.

Does Google or Microsoft offer templates?

If you have Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel, yes, you can use their templates to create a budget spreadsheet.

You can check through their lists and search for budgets, and go through the options that come up.

We also have a guide for Excel budgets that you can check out!

Many templates con this list can also be used with those programs, so it’s more about which one looks the simplest or easiest for you.

I personally like having a printable budget template so that I can sit down and review my purchases and be more conscious of what I spend my money on.

But using apps like Mint alongside helps me track my money on the go so that when I’m thinking about buying something, I can see if I’d go over budget beforehand.

How does a budget template work? Is it easy for beginners?

Even if you’ve never created a budget before, a budget template outlines everything you do and goes step-by-step to get you up to speed.

Simply take your income minus your expenses to quickly see where your money is going and how much you have left each month. 

You can learn all the budgeting tips and tricks you want, but the most important thing is to find an easy-to-use budgeting system that works for you. 

In order to live the stress-free life that you want, you NEED to learn how to budget your money. 

Should I use templates or apps to create a budget and manage my money?

This really depends on what you are the most comfortable with. You want a budgeting system that fits your personality and needs. 

Budgeting can be so overwhelming and time-consuming when you are first getting started, so keeping it simple is always the best answer. 

By selecting one of these best budgeting templates and apps to use, you will have far more control over your spending and entire financial future. 

Is there a business budget template that I can use for my start-up?

On this list, you can use Mint and Empower with whatever accounts your business has and tailor the budget to whatever you need.

If you want step-by-step directions for a business budget, we recommend SmartSheets article, which will walk you through your budget and help you figure out the calculations easily.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are using a free printable budget template or an online personal budget app, the key is finding one you will stick with. 

Budgeting is the key to reaching your money goals and, ultimately, financial freedom.

Get started budgeting with one of these many budget templates today and start creating those good money habits. 

If you want easy and automatic, try Mint out, and get budgets and analytics done quickly without any effort. If you like to do it by hand, check out our free Savvy printable budget.