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How to Create a Simple Financial Spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets

💬 Meta description:
Learn how to create a simple and efficient financial spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets to organize your finances, track expenses, and achieve your goals with clarity.

📌 Introduction

Have you ever tried to control your expenses and just gave up because it seemed too complicated?

The truth is, you don’t need to be a finance expert or spreadsheet wizard to take control of your money. A well-made spreadsheet can be the key to getting out of debt, starting to save, and even investing better.

In this Pocket Tips article, you will learn step-by-step:

  • How to create a simple financial spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets

  • What essentials it must include

  • How to adapt it to your daily life and financial profile

  • Plus: a ready-to-use template to download and start right now!

📥 Why create a financial spreadsheet?

Before diving into the steps, here are the real benefits:

✅ Visualize where your money is going
✅ Build awareness of your financial habits
✅ Set savings or spending cut goals
✅ Help get out of debt and invest safely

A good spreadsheet is your personal financial map. It shows where your money flows — and where it could grow more.

🛠️ Step-by-step: how to create a simple financial spreadsheet

You can build your spreadsheet in:

  • Excel (ideal if you have it installed and use on your computer)

  • Google Sheets (free, online, works on any device)

Step 1: Create columns with main categories

Open a new file and, in the first tab, insert these columns:

| Date | Description | Category | Type (Income/Expense) | Amount | Payment Method | Notes |

💡 Tip: Create a separate tab for “categories” and use data validation to ease data entry.

Step 2: Define financial categories

Make a list with your main income sources and recurring expenses, such as:

Income:

  • Salary

  • Extra income

  • Investments

Fixed expenses:

  • Rent

  • Utilities (electricity, water, internet)

  • School

Variable expenses:

  • Food

  • Entertainment

  • Transport

  • Shopping

Financial:

  • Installments

  • Credit card

  • Investments

Step 3: Manual or automatic entries

You can enter data manually every day (or week), or:

🔁 Import bank statements
📤 Copy-paste from banking or card apps

The more frequent you update, the clearer your budget view.

Step 4: Create a monthly summary dashboard

In another tab, build a monthly financial summary with:

  • Total income

  • Total expenses

  • Monthly balance (Income – Expenses)

  • Pie chart showing spending proportions by category

  • Line chart showing balance evolution month by month

📈 Tip: Use simple formulas like =SUMIF() to sum values by category or type.

Step 5: Set goals and track progress

Define goals such as:

  • Spend up to R$ X on entertainment

  • Save R$ Y per month

  • Pay off debts by date Z

Track monthly progress to stay focused.

📌 Tips to keep your spreadsheet working

✅ Set aside 10 minutes per week to update
✅ Be honest with your expenses — even small treats count
✅ Review your data at month-end and spot improvements
✅ Adapt the spreadsheet to your style: simpler or more detailed

📁 Ready template: free spreadsheet to download

Want to save time? Download now the free Pocket Tips spreadsheet in:

✅ Excel (.xlsx)
✅ Google Sheets (direct link)

📥 Click here to download your free spreadsheet
(Fake link — I can create the template if you want.)

✅ Conclusion

A simple financial spreadsheet might seem basic, but it’s extremely powerful for anyone wanting to improve their financial life.

You don’t need complex formulas or paid apps: with organization and consistency, you transform your relationship with money.

💡 Start today: build your spreadsheet (or use our template), update weekly, and watch the results at month-end.