A budget template speeds up the budgeting process each month.
A budget can help an individual or a family plan allocate household income. No one budgeting method is best for everyone; the important thing is to create and follow a budget for each budgeting period. Operating on a budget helps ensure all the bills are getting paid on time and extra money is used purposefully.
Instructions
1. Put the title "Month:" at the top left of your budget worksheet. Leave a blank space immediately to the right you can enter the current month in each time you use the template.
2. Skip a line and enter "Fixed Expenses" on the far left side of the sheet.
3. Create the headings for fixed expenses. Below the title "Fixed expenses", make the headings "Title", "Monthly Amount", "Per Paycheck" and "Due Date", from left to right.
4. List all your fixed recurring bills below the "Title" column heading. Fixed expenses include items such as house and car payments, utilities, insurance and memberships.
5. Enter the monthly due date of each fixed expense in the column under "Due Date". Leave the monthly and per paycheck amounts blank so they can be filled in each time you use the budget template.
6. Draw a border below the bottom row. On the far left below the line put "Total Fixed Expenses". Leave blank spaces to the right that you can enter the monthly and per paycheck totals.
7. Skip a line and create the title "Variable Expenses" on the far left.
8. Create column headings on the line below "Variable Expenses". From left to right, enter "Title", "Monthly Amount", and "Per Paycheck".
9. List your monthly variable expenses below the "Title" column heading. Try to think of everything that you actually spend money on each month and put it into a category. Common categories include food, gasoline, spending, entertainment, clothing, household items and toiletries.
10. Draw a border below the bottom variable expense and enter "Total Variable Expenses" below it on the far left. Each month you can use this line to sum the variable expenses.
11. Skip two lines and create a budget summary matrix. On the left hand side, put "Income", "Total Monthly Expenses" below it and "Difference" on the next line down. Above and to the right of "Income", enter "Monthly" and "Per Paycheck". This summary section allows you to enter your monthly and per paycheck income, then sum the totals of variable and fixed expenses from the worksheet above, and calculate the difference each time you budget.
12. Make at least one copy of your template. If you are using a software program to create the template, save a copy of the original in case the working copy is damaged. If the budget template is on paper, make one master copy that you can use to create future copies and several months' worth of copies to use in the future.
