Free Google Sheets Expense Tracker Template (2026)
A free Google Sheets expense tracker template with Expenses, Income and a monthly budget that resets on the 1st. See the formulas and how to set it up.
In short
This free Google Sheets expense tracker template has four tabs: Expenses, Income, Monthly Budget and a small Settings tab that works out the current month. Budget totals use SUMIFS against those dates, so the sheet starts fresh on the 1st with no editing. Build it in ten minutes from the formulas below, or let Voice Sheet create it for you.
This free Google Sheets expense tracker template gives you three working tabs (Expenses, Income and Monthly Budget) plus a tiny Settings tab that works out the current month. Every budget total points at that month, so the dashboard resets itself on the 1st. Below you'll see exactly what's inside, every formula, and two ways to get it: build it yourself in ten minutes, or have it created for you.
What's inside the template
The template follows one rule: one purchase per row, and every number on the summary tab comes from a formula. Nothing is typed twice.
| Tab | Columns or contents | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Expenses | Date · Category (dropdown) · Amount (currency) · Notes | Every purchase, one row each |
| Income | Date · Source · Type (dropdown) · Amount (currency) | Salary, side projects, freelance work, investments |
| Monthly Budget | Income this month · Remaining after expenses · Budget, spent and remaining per category | Your monthly dashboard |
| Settings | Year · Month · Month start · Next month start | Tells every formula which month "this month" is |
The Category dropdown starts with seven options: Food, Transport, Utilities, Rent, Entertainment, Health and Other. Income Type has Job, Side Project, Freelance and Investment. You can rename or add to both (see "Customize the categories" below).
How to get the template
You have two options. Both end with a normal Google Sheet in your own Drive.
Option A: Build it in ten minutes
- Create a blank spreadsheet at sheets.new and name it "Personal Finances".
- Rename the first tab Expenses. In row 1, type
Date,Category,Amount,Notes. - Add a tab called Income with
Date,Source,Type,Amount. - Add a tab called Settings and a tab called Monthly Budget, then paste in the formulas from the next section.
- Format the Date columns as dates and the Amount columns as currency (Format → Number).
- Add the dropdowns: select column B on Expenses, choose Insert → Dropdown, and type your categories. Do the same for column C on Income.
- Freeze row 1 on both data tabs (View → Freeze → 1 row).
Option B: Let Voice Sheet create it
Voice Sheet's free plan includes seven templates, and Personal Finances is this one. Tick it in the app and it's created as its own spreadsheet in your Google Drive, with the columns, dropdowns and budget formulas already in place. You can open it on your computer afterwards and change anything. See all seven on the Google Sheets templates page.
How the formulas work
You don't need to understand the formulas to use the template, but it helps when you want to change something.
The Settings tab
| Cell | Label | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| B2 | Year | =YEAR(TODAY()) |
| B3 | Month | =MONTH(TODAY()) |
| B4 | Month start | =DATE($B$2,$B$3,1) |
| B5 | Next month start | =DATE($B$2,$B$3+1,1) |
TODAY() updates every day, so on the 1st these cells move to the new month. DATE handles December correctly: month 13 becomes January of the next year.
To look back at a past month, temporarily replace the formula in B3 with a number (9 for September), then put the formula back.
Income and remaining this month
On the Monthly Budget tab, income this month (cell B2) is:
=SUMIFS(Income!D:D, Income!A:A, ">="&Settings!$B$4, Income!A:A, "<"&Settings!$B$5)
It adds every Amount in the Income tab whose date is on or after the month start and before next month's start. Remaining after expenses uses the same date window on the Expenses tab:
=B2-SUMIFS(Expenses!C:C, Expenses!A:A, ">="&Settings!$B$4, Expenses!A:A, "<"&Settings!$B$5)
Budget per category
Below that, list your categories in column A, with your monthly budget for each in column B. The remaining amount in column C is the budget minus what you spent in that category this month (for the category in row 6):
=B6-SUMIFS(Expenses!C:C, Expenses!A:A, ">="&Settings!$B$4, Expenses!A:A, "<"&Settings!$B$5, Expenses!B:B, A6)
Fill it down for every category. A negative number means you're over budget. Add conditional formatting (Format → Conditional formatting → "Less than 0", red fill) to make it obvious.
For a deeper explanation of SUMIFS and the date conditions, see our guide on how to track expenses in Google Sheets.
Customize the categories
The template's categories are a starting point. To change them:
- On the Expenses tab, click any Category cell and choose the pencil icon (or Data → Data validation).
- Edit, add or remove options. Pick a color for each if you like.
- Update the category list in column A of the Monthly Budget tab to match. The totals match on the exact text, so "Groceries" and "groceries " (with a space) are different categories.
- Old rows with a category you've removed will show a warning. Change them to a current category, or leave them: they still count towards their old name.
Good categories are broad enough that you never hesitate. If you can't decide in one second whether coffee is "Food" or "Entertainment", merge them or write a rule in a note at the top of the sheet.
Some ideas for common situations:
- Freelancers: add Software, Equipment, Travel and Client meals, plus a separate business spreadsheet.
- Households: add Kids, Pets and Home, and a Person column if two people log.
- Students: split Food into Groceries and Eating out, which is usually where the money goes.
Fill it from your phone
The template works perfectly on a laptop. The problem is that you spend money away from your laptop, and typing into a spreadsheet on a phone is slow enough that most people stop doing it.
Voice Sheet was built for exactly this template. Connect the spreadsheet and the app reads its header row and dropdown options, then builds a form to match: a date picker for Date, a list of your categories for Category, a number pad for Amount. That form is free. With Premium, you can also say "groceries 64.20 yesterday" and the form fills itself in, or paste a list of the day's purchases and get one row per item.
Every entry lands as a normal row in the Expenses tab, so the Monthly Budget tab updates straight away. The budget dashboard in the app reads the same formulas, so you see what's left in each category without opening the sheet. And there's no bank connection anywhere in the set-up: you record what you choose. (More on that in how to track expenses without linking your bank.)
Whichever way you fill it, keep one habit: log each purchase when you pay, and spend two minutes in the evening adding anything you missed.
Template checklist before you start
- Date columns formatted as dates, Amount columns as currency
- Category dropdown set to "Reject the input" for invalid entries
- Your categories listed on the Monthly Budget tab, spelled exactly as in the dropdown
- A budget amount next to each category
- Settings tab showing this month's dates
- One currency for the whole spreadsheet (use a separate copy per currency)
Once those six boxes are ticked, the template runs itself. All you add is one row per purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free expense tracker template for Google Sheets?
Yes. Google Sheets has a basic Monthly Budget template under File → New → From template gallery, and many free templates exist online. The one in this guide adds an Income tab and a budget that resets itself each month. You can build it from the formulas here or have Voice Sheet create it free.
What should an expense tracker template include?
At minimum, an Expenses tab with Date, Category, Amount and Notes, a category dropdown, and a summary that totals the current month by category. Useful extras are an Income tab, a budget per category with the amount remaining, and a settings cell that switches the month without editing every formula.
How do I customize the categories in a Google Sheets template?
Select the Category column, open Data → Data validation and edit the dropdown list. Then add the same names to the category rows of your budget tab, because the totals match on the exact text. Keep six to ten categories so entries stay quick and the totals stay meaningful.
Can I use a Google Sheets expense template on my phone?
Yes, it opens in the Google Sheets app on iPhone and Android, but typing into small cells is slow. A Google Form or an app that adds rows for you is quicker. Voice Sheet turns the template's columns into a mobile form and can fill it from a spoken sentence.
Does the template work in Microsoft Excel?
The formulas (SUMIFS, DATE, TODAY) work in Excel too, so you can download the sheet as .xlsx. Dropdown chips and colors may look different. If you use Voice Sheet to add entries from your phone, keep the file in Google Sheets, because the app only connects to Google Sheets.
