Formula Library
Budgeting Formulas
Google Sheets formulas for tracking expenses, calculating budget allocations, and analyzing your spending patterns over time.
50/30/20 Budget Allocation
beginnerCalculate how much to allocate to needs, wants, and savings based on the popular 50/30/20 budgeting rule.
=income * 0.50 (needs), =income * 0.30 (wants), =income * 0.20 (savings) Budget Variance
beginnerCalculate the difference between planned budget and actual spending to see if you're over or under budget.
=planned_amount - actual_amount Discretionary Spending Available
beginnerCalculate how much is left for flexible spending after covering fixed costs and savings targets in your budget spreadsheet.
=income - fixed_expenses - savings_target Expense-to-Income Ratio
beginnerCalculate what percentage of your income goes to expenses - a quick way to see where your money is going.
=total_expenses / total_income Monthly Average Spending
beginnerCalculate your average spending per category over multiple months to spot trends and set realistic budgets.
=AVERAGEIF(category_range, "Category", amount_range) Percentage of Budget Used
beginnerCalculate what percentage of your budget you have spent in each category to track progress throughout the month.
=spent/budget Rolling Average Spending
intermediateCalculate a 3-month or 6-month rolling average for each budget category to smooth out irregular expenses.
=AVERAGE(OFFSET(current_cell, -months+1, 0, months, 1)) Running Balance
beginnerTrack your account balance after each transaction with a cumulative running total formula for Google Sheets.
=starting_balance + SUM($C$2:C2) Sum Expenses by Category
beginnerUse SUMIF to add up all transactions that match a specific category, like Groceries or Entertainment, in Google Sheets.
=SUMIF(category_range, "Category Name", amount_range) Year-Over-Year Spending Change
beginnerCompare spending by category between this year and last year, with percentage change to spot trends.
=(this_year - last_year) / last_year