Expense tracker template
A budget is a plan; an expense tracker is the record. Start from the categories below, set what you expect to spend in each, and download the worksheet — then fill in what actually happened as the month goes.
57.0% of income — 7.0pt over
16.0% of income
18.8% of income
$330 is unassigned. Give it a job — most people move it to savings.
Take it with you
Nothing you type here is sent anywhere — the budget is built in your browser and leaves only when you export it.
Set this budget up in Wally
Wally is a free budgeting app for iOS and Android. Create these categories in the app and it tracks your spending against each one — including the 50/30/20 split above.
Already have transactions in a spreadsheet or an old app? Import them with the CSV template — that file is for transaction history, separate from the budget plan above.
How to use it in Expense tracker
- Set your monthly income and list the categories you actually spend in — rename anything that does not fit.
- Download the worksheet as a spreadsheet file.
- Add a column for what you actually spent next to the planned column, and fill it in weekly.
- At the end of the month, compare the two columns. The gaps are where next month’s budget needs to change.
What you get
Four columns — the category, the group it belongs to (needs, wants or savings), the amount you planned, and what share of your take-home pay that is. Income sits at the top; the total allocated and what is left over sit at the bottom. Nothing is locked, so rename or delete anything once it is yours.
Prefer a different format? Start from the budget template hub and pick the one you want.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a budget template and an expense tracker?
A budget template is a plan made before the month starts — how much you intend to spend in each category. An expense tracker is the record of what actually happened. Most people need both, which is why this worksheet has a planned column you fill in now and space for an actual column you fill in as you go.
Is this income and expense worksheet free?
Yes — free, with no signup and no email required. Build it on this page and download it.
How often should I update an expense tracker?
Weekly is enough for most people, and it is far more sustainable than daily. The point is to catch a category running over while there is still time to do something about it — not to log every coffee within the hour.
Is there an app that does this automatically?
Wally is a free budgeting app for iOS and Android that tracks spending against category budgets for you. It does not connect to your bank — you add transactions manually or import them from a CSV — which is why some people prefer it.