2015 Family Budget Template

The start of the New Year is the best time to really dedicate yourself to creating a solid family budget. Tracking income and expenses monthly is the best way to see how your finances are working. The 2015 Family Budget Template is an organized planner to log your expenses, income, leftover cash, and monthly averages to help you see where improvements can be made.

How to use the 2015 Excel Budget Template

Using the link below, download the Excel sheet and begin by changing the [Year] in the upper left corner. The template already has a few months filled out to help guide you in adding your own information, so erase the numbers under each month before beginning.

The bar graph and column labeled “Summary” are generated automatically so skip over them for now. Move to the “Income Type” column and beginning filling it out. There are spaces for two incomes (from jobs) and then one for another source of income. It’s best to fill these in at the end of the month, but if you’re sure of the amount then you can enter it right away.

The bottom column is for your expenses. The categories have already been created but you can change or delete them if needed. These expenses are the totals for the month, so if you go grocery shopping twice a month, add the totals together and enter that number in under the corresponding month.

Once you have finished entering your income and expenses, scroll back to the “Summary” portion and the bar graph. It will now show you the total amount of income, expenses, and the amount leftover for that month. All of the categories will also generate the amount for the Year-To-Date and the monthly average. The bar graph above also reflects this.

Tips on using the 2015 Excel Budget Template

• Use the monthly average column in the Expenses portion to see where you’re spending the most. This will help you find areas in your expenses to cut down.
• Track your leftover cash each month and decide with your family how to use it. For example, put 3/4ths of it into savings and then the rest for a vacation fund.

Download the 2015 Family Budget Template

Template courtesy of Microsoft