Salary LeftFree monthly expense tracker template for Excel & Google Sheets
A simple personal expense tracker spreadsheet with category totals, monthly budgets and a "left this month" figure that calculate automatically. Download it, replace the sample rows and you're set.
Works in Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers. No signup.
What's inside the template
- Expense logDate, description, category, amount, payment method and notes. Room for about 500 entries.
- Category totalsEight ready-made categories with a monthly budget, amount spent and amount remaining for each.
- Monthly summaryEnter your income and see total spent and what's left this month.
- Sample dataNine example rows show how it works. Delete them and add your own.
Preview
The first rows of the expense log and the category summary next to it.
| Date | Description | Category | Amount | Category | Budget | Spent | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | Rent | Housing | 1,200.00 | Housing | 1,200 | 1,200.00 | 0.00 |
| 2026-09-03 | Groceries | Food | 86.40 | Food | 500 | 128.90 | 371.10 |
| 2026-09-05 | Electricity bill | Utilities | 74.15 | Utilities | 200 | 119.15 | 80.85 |
| 2026-09-06 | Internet | Utilities | 45.00 | Transportation | 150 | 60.00 | 90.00 |
How to use the expense tracker template
- Download and open it. Open the .csv in Excel, or upload it to Google Sheets (File > Import). Save it as a normal spreadsheet.
- Set income and budgets. Type your monthly income next to "Monthly income", then edit the budget for each category.
- Log your expenses. Replace the sample rows, one line per purchase. Use the exact category names so the totals pick them up.
- Read the totals. "Spent" and "Remaining" update as you add rows, and "Left this month" shows your balance.
- Start a new copy each month. Duplicate the sheet, clear the expenses and update your income.
If numbers show as formulas (text starting with "="), import the file instead of double-clicking it: Data > From Text/CSV in Excel, or File > Import in Google Sheets.
Expense categories to track
The template starts with the categories most households need. Rename them if you like, keeping the log and summary names identical.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Housing | Rent or mortgage, maintenance, home insurance |
| Food | Groceries, eating out, coffee |
| Utilities | Electricity, water, gas, internet, phone |
| Transportation | Fuel, public transport, ride-hailing, parking |
| Entertainment | Streaming, movies, hobbies, trips |
| Savings | Emergency fund, investments, committee (BC) contributions |
| Healthcare | Doctor visits, medicine, insurance |
| Other | Everything else, gifts and one-off costs |
Tips for tracking expenses that stick
- Log as you spend. Waiting until the weekend means forgetting the small purchases that add up.
- Start with a 50/30/20 split. Use our budget calculator to set category budgets before the month starts.
- Review once a week. Five minutes to compare "Spent" against "Budget" lets you correct course early.
- Keep one place for recurring bills. Add rent and subscriptions on day one so nothing is missed.
Prefer not to maintain a spreadsheet?
Salary Left does the same job on your phone: category budgets, recurring expenses, charts and a live remaining balance. It's free, works offline and keeps your data on your device.
Try the free expense tracker appFrequently asked questions
Does the template work in Excel and Google Sheets?
Yes. It is a standard CSV file that opens in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Apple Numbers. The category totals use the SUMIF formula, which all of them support.
How do I use the expense tracker template?
Download the file, open it in your spreadsheet app, replace the sample rows with your own expenses, set your monthly income and category budgets, and read the totals on the right. Save a copy for each month.
Why do I see formulas instead of numbers?
Some spreadsheet apps show formulas as text when a CSV is opened by double-clicking. Use File > Import (Google Sheets) or Data > From Text/CSV (Excel), or re-enter the equals sign in the cell, and the formulas will calculate.
Is the template free?
Yes, it is free to download and use. There is nothing to sign up for.
Is there an easier way than a spreadsheet?
Yes. Salary Left is a free expense tracker app that does the same job with category budgets, charts and recurring expenses built in, works offline and keeps your data on your device.