Cost of Living Comparison Spreadsheet: Move-Decision Worksheet
Cost of living comparison spreadsheet for the move-or-stay decision. Side-by-side housing, taxes, utilities, transport, and the salary-equivalent number.
Budgeting Articles
Budgeting methods, templates, and practical guides for tracking spending. Articles covering budgeting topics with practical guides, calculators, and spreadsheet templates.
57 articles
Mid-Year Financial Review: A Template for Checking In
A mid-year financial review template covering budget vs actual, net worth, savings rate, tax check-in, insurance, subscriptions, debt, goals, and adjustments for the rest of the year.
Subscription Tracker Spreadsheet (Excel Template, Annualized Costs)
A dedicated subscription tracker spreadsheet logs every recurring charge, annualizes the cost, and records renewal dates. Compare the free, $19 Essentials, and $29 Ultimate tiers, then run a 10-minute audit.
End-of-Year Budget Review Template: A 12-Month Retrospective
A year-end budget review template that walks through the 12 months you just lived. Variance per category, savings rate trend, and a checklist for next year's plan.
Free Expense Tracker Google Sheets Template (5-Minute Setup)
Free expense tracker templates for Google Sheets in 2026: Google's built-in version, a free starter, community options, a five-minute setup, and when the paid $19 version is worth it.
Wedding Budget Spreadsheet: 80 Rows That Cover the Whole Day
A wedding budget spreadsheet with 80-plus vendor and item rows tracking budget, deposit, balance, and final cost. Free walkthrough plus the Essentials Excel template at $19.
How to Plan a Yearly Budget in Google Sheets (6-Step Walkthrough)
How to plan a yearly budget in Google Sheets, step by step. Covers seasonal expenses, irregular income, the 12-month grid layout, and a worked example for a family.
Free Monthly Budget Template Google Sheets: 4 Options
Four free monthly budget templates for Google Sheets compared: Google's built-in sheet, Aspire, Reddit community templates and Vertex42.
How to Build a Budget That Actually Works
A 7-step guide to building a budget you'll actually stick to. Start from real spending data, set realistic targets, build in flexibility, and choose from methods like 50/30/20 or zero-based budgeting.
Spring Cleaning Your Finances: Annual Tasks to Complete
An annual financial spring cleaning checklist - verify beneficiaries, audit subscriptions, review credit reports, shop insurance rates, and organize documents. Prioritized by impact with time estimates.
When to Switch Budget Templates
The signs your budget template isn't working anymore, and how to switch without losing historical data. Includes a template recommendation guide based on your situation and budgeting style.
Side Hustle Income: Where to Track Extra Earnings
How to track side hustle income for taxes and profitability. Covers separating business and personal finances, calculating your real hourly rate, estimated quarterly taxes, and expense deductions.
Q2 Financial Check-In: Are You On Track?
A Q2 financial check-in checklist - review Q1 spending vs. budget, check net worth progress, assess savings goals, and adjust your plan for the rest of 2026. Includes a sample review summary.
Budget Templates for Visual Thinkers
Budget templates with charts, color-coded categories, progress bars, and visual dashboards. How to choose a template that shows your spending at a glance instead of hiding it in rows of numbers.
Seasonal Budgeting: Adjusting for Weather and Holidays
December spending echoes into January. Summer utility bills are nothing like winter ones. Here are the 3-4 seasonal patterns that actually matter for your budget - and how to plan around them.