How to Plan a Trip Budget in Google Sheets

A trip without a budget is a trip with surprises - usually the expensive kind. Building a travel budget in Google Sheets takes about 30 minutes for initial setup, and saves you from post-vacation credit card shock.

The key is having two connected pieces: pre-trip estimates (what you think you’ll spend) and a daily expense log (what you actually spend). Most travel budgets fail because they only have one or the other. The estimate gives you a target; the log shows reality. Comparing them teaches you for next time.

Want something ready to use? The Travel Budget Planner handles pre-trip budgeting with booking management and payment tracking. Works offline, shareable for group trips.

Setting Up the Overview Sheet

Open Google Sheets and name your spreadsheet specifically - “Paris June 2026” works better than “Travel Budget” when you’re searching for it six months later.

Start with trip details at the top. This reference section keeps key information visible:

Having this information in cells rather than just remembered means formulas can reference it. Duration in B4 can calculate your daily budget target. Travelers in B5 can calculate per-person costs.

Building the Budget Categories

Below your trip info, leave a blank row, then create your budget estimation table. This is where you’ll estimate costs before the trip and track actuals as you go.

The categories above cover most trips. Adjust based on your destination - a road trip needs more transportation subcategories, a beach resort might need a “Drinks” category, a ski trip needs equipment rentals.

The buffer row is important. Add 10-15% of your estimated total as a buffer for unexpected expenses. Travel surprises happen - a must-try restaurant recommendation, a day trip opportunity, a replacement for something you forgot to pack.

Adding the Formulas

Your spreadsheet needs formulas to calculate subtotals, grand totals, and the difference between estimated and actual spending.

Subtotals sum each category. For the Transportation subtotal (cell B15, if transport items are in rows 11-14):

=SUM(B11:B14)

Copy this formula to columns C and D to get actual and difference subtotals.

Grand Total (cell B41) sums all subtotals:

=B15+B20+B26+B32+B39

Or sum all individual items directly if you prefer:

=SUM(B11:B14,B18:B19,B23:B25,B29:B31,B35:B38)

Difference column shows whether you’re under or over budget. In cell D11:

=C11-B11

Negative means you spent more than estimated; positive means you spent less. Copy this formula down for all rows.

Here’s what the formula cells look like:

Remaining budget (add this below the grand total):

This tells you how much of your $4,000 budget is still unallocated in your estimates, and how much is actually left based on spending.

Creating the Daily Expense Log

Add a second sheet to your spreadsheet. Click the + button at the bottom to add a new tab, and name it “Daily Log.”

This is where you’ll record every purchase during the trip:

The Category column should match exactly the category names from your budget sheet - this matters for the formulas that pull data automatically.

Connecting the Log to Your Budget

The powerful part: automatically pulling daily expenses into your budget summary. This SUMIF formula adds up all expenses matching a specific category.

On your main budget sheet, in the Actual column for Restaurants (cell C23):

=SUMIF('Daily Log'!C:C,"Restaurants",'Daily Log'!D:D)

This looks at column C of the Daily Log (categories), finds all rows where the category is “Restaurants”, and sums the corresponding amounts from column D.

Copy this formula for each category, changing the category name:

Now your budget automatically updates as you log expenses. No manual copying or summing - just log purchases and watch the numbers update.

A Complete Example

Here’s what the budget looks like mid-trip, with estimates and three days of actual spending:

After 3 of 7 days, this traveler has spent $2,217 - about 55% of the budget. That’s slightly ahead of pace (should be ~43% through 3 days), but reasonable given that flights and most of the hotel were paid upfront.

Setting Up Mobile Access

Log expenses as they happen, or batch at day’s end. Either way, you need your spreadsheet accessible on your phone.

If you don’t have the Google Sheets app, download it before your trip. Open your travel budget and enable offline access: tap the three-dot menu and toggle “Available offline.” This saves a local copy so you can log expenses even without WiFi or data.

The mobile experience is simpler than desktop but fully functional. The Daily Log sheet is the main one you’ll use on the trip - one row per purchase.

Handling Different Currencies

For international trips, you have three approaches to currency:

Track in local currency, convert later. Enter amounts in euros, pounds, or whatever local currency. When you return, use your credit card statement charges (which show the actual USD conversion) to reconcile. This is simplest during the trip.

Live conversion with GOOGLEFINANCE. Add a cell that fetches current exchange rates:

=GOOGLEFINANCE("CURRENCY:EURUSD")

Then multiply local currency amounts by this rate. Updates automatically but requires internet.

Fixed estimate rate. Pick a rate at trip start and use it throughout. Simple and consistent, though final numbers may differ slightly from credit card conversions.

The first approach tends to be easiest. Your credit card statement shows what you actually paid in your home currency, which is what matters for budget purposes.

Useful Daily Metrics

Add these calculations to track whether you’re on pace:

With a $4,000 budget over 7 days, your daily target is $571. If you’re averaging $500/day, you’re ahead by $71/day. If averaging $650/day, you’re behind by $79/day and should adjust.

Per-person metrics work similarly:

Common Questions

How much time does daily tracking take?

About 5-10 minutes per day. Some people log each purchase immediately; others batch everything at day’s end using receipts. The batch approach is usually easier during busy travel days.

Should I share the spreadsheet with my travel partner?

Yes - both can log expenses from their phones, and totals update for everyone. This is especially useful for splitting who pays for what. In Google Sheets, click Share and add their email with “Editor” access.

What if I forget to log something?

Credit card and bank statements catch everything. Set aside 30 minutes after the trip to reconcile your log against your statements. Anything missing gets added then.

How do I handle expenses one person paid that should be split?

Add a “Paid By” column to your Daily Log. At trip end, total what each person paid and settle the difference. Or use a splitting app like Splitwise alongside your budget.

What about pre-trip expenses like flights and hotels?

Log these in the Daily Log with the date you paid, even if that’s weeks before the trip. They’ll show up in your Actual column immediately, giving you a more accurate picture of total trip cost.

The Alternative

Building from scratch teaches you how everything works and gives complete control over the structure. If you only need the pre-trip planning side, the Travel Budget Planner has budgeting, booking management, and payment tracking ready to go.

Either way, the goal is the same: know what your trip costs before the credit card bill arrives. The surprise should be how beautiful the destination was, not how much you spent getting there.

Related Resources

• Travel Budget Planner - ready-to-use trip planning template
• Monthly Budget Template - budget for vacation savings
• Travel Budget Spreadsheets That Actually Work