The Budget Planner Template
A complete 12-month budget system in Google Sheets. Built for real life — income, expenses, debt, savings, and net worth, all in one place.
Instant digital download · Google Sheets · No subscription
Know how much money you have at all times.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Budgeting isn't about restriction. It's about clarity.
Most budget templates are built around cutting back. This one is built around knowing — exactly where your money goes, what it's doing for you, and what it says about your priorities.
"Health and education sit in Fixed costs — not luxuries. People who thrive financially invest in their body and their mind first. These aren't luxuries — they're the foundation everything else is built on."
When you understand your money, you stop feeling behind. You start feeling in control.
THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK
Set up once. Use it all year.
Every category is assigned to one of four buckets — so you always know if you're spending in alignment with your priorities, not just your impulses.
01
Enter your budget start date in Settings and rename your accounts. Month headers update everywhere automatically.
Set Your Start Date & AccountsLog Your Recurring Bills02
Enter regular bill once in Recurring Transactions — rent, phone, subscriptions. Add them to your Projected column.
Track Spending As It Happens03
Log each expense in Variable Transactions with a date and category. Your Monthly Budget Actual column updates itself.
Check Your Dashboard04
See where you stand any time — income vs. expenses, how you're tracking by bucket, and your annual net position.
THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK
A budget built around how you actually want to live.
Every category is assigned to one of four buckets — so you always know if you're spending in alignment with your priorities, not just your impulses.
50%
fixed costNon-negotiables. The foundation.
Health, housing, transport, education
Guilt-Free20–30%
Intentional lifestyle spending.
Dining, travel, clothing, hobbies
Savings10–15%
Emergency & sinking funds.
Vacation fund, home repairs, new car
Investments10–15%
Wealth building. The long game.
TFSA, RRSP, retirement accounts
12 Tabs - One Complete System.
WHAT’S INSDIE
Every tab is connected. Change a category name in Settings and it updates everywhere. Enter a transaction once and it flows through to your monthly budget, annual breakdown, and dashboard automatically.
-
01. Start Here
A plain-language setup guide that walks you through every step — no spreadsheet experience needed.
-
02. Settings
Rename accounts, categories, and sinking funds in one place. Everything updates automatically throughout the entire tracker.
-
03. Recurring Transactions
Log every regular bill once — rent, subscriptions, insurance. Includes frequency tracking and auto-calculated next due dates.
-
04. Variable Transactions
Log spending as it happens. Date it and it automatically routes to the right month in your budget.
-
05. Monthly Budget
Track projected vs. actual spending across all 12 months with % of income shown for every category.
-
06. Cash & Accounts
Track bank balances, credit card balances owing, and your net cash position month by month.
-
07. Annual Breakdown
See your full year at a glance — every category, every month, with annual totals and budget targets.
-
08. Sinking Funds
Set a goal, a target date, and your current balance. The tracker tells you exactly how much to save each month.
-
09. Debt Repayment
Built-in snowball strategy with estimated payoff dates and total interest calculations for up to 10 debts.
-
10. Net Worth
Track assets and liabilities across all 12 months, with annual growth percentages that update automatically.
-
11. Dashboard
A high-level financial summary — income vs. expenses, spending by bucket, and your annual net position.
-
12. Data Center (hidden)
The engine behind the tracker. Keeps all your formulas clean and your dropdowns consistent. You never need to touch it.
Is this for you?
This tracker was made for you if —
You've tried budgeting apps and they never stick
You want to see your whole financial picture in one place
You're working on paying off debt and want a clear plan
You're saving for something specific and want to know exactly how long it'll take
You want to stop feeling guilty about spending on yourself
You want a budget that respects your health as a priority — not an afterthought
You're self-employed or have variable income
You want to know your net worth and watch it grow over the year
You love a clean, well-designed spreadsheet you'll actually want to open
You're ready to build a real relationship with your money
Built to do the work for you.
Everything included:
The Local Goods Company Budget Planner Template features:
12 fully connected tabs — data flows automatically
Rename categories once in Settings — updates everywhere
Projected vs. Actual tracking for every month
% of income shown per category so you can see patterns
Variable transactions auto-sort into the right month by date
Recurring bill tracker with frequency and next due date
Debt repayment with snowball strategy & payoff date estimates
Sinking funds that calculate your monthly contribution needed
Net worth tracker with year-over-year growth %
Annual breakdown view across all 12 months
Financial dashboard with income vs. expense chart data
Health & education built into Fixed costs — non-negotiable
Supports up to 4 income sources
Tracks up to 7 bank/savings/investment accounts
Tracks up to 2 credit cards and 10 debts
Plain-language Start Here guide included
Frequently Asked Questions
-
No. The tracker is set up so that you only type in data — the formulas do everything else. A Start Here tab walks you through every step in plain language.
-
A free Google account. That's it. The tracker opens directly in Google Sheets on any device — phone, tablet, or desktop.
-
After purchase on Etsy, you'll receive a link to make a copy of the Google Sheets file. It goes directly into your own Google Drive — no software to install.
-
Yes — you can rename any category from the Settings tab and it updates everywhere in the tracker automatically. Adding new categories is not supported in this version.
-
Yes. The tracker uses dollar signs by default but works with any currency — just enter your numbers as you would normally.
-
Yes. $18 USD, once. No subscription, no renewal, no hidden costs. Yours to use for as long as you want.
The Budget Planner Template
Start living with financial clarity.
One purchase. Instant access. A budget you'll actually keep.