Simple Budget Template For Google Sheets
The simplest possible budget — money in, money out, what's left. Nothing you don't need.
- Who it’s for
- Absolute beginners who want a no-frills budget — just enough structure to see what's left over, without 50 tabs to abandon.
- Problem it solves
- Most budget templates are overbuilt — dozens of tabs, formulas you don't understand, and categories you'll never use. People quit in a week. This is the opposite — the bare minimum that still shows how much money you have left each month.
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Key benefits
- One simple view — income, expenses, and money left over
- A handful of starter categories, not dozens
- No advanced tabs, macros, or formulas to learn
- Automatic totals so the math is done for you
- Works on desktop and the Google Sheets mobile app
- Optional Avery bank sync so it updates without manual entry
The Simple Budget is the most stripped-back budget Avery makes. It answers one question — how much money do I have left this month? — with income at the top, a handful of expense categories, and a "money left over" number that updates itself. No dashboards, no extra tabs, nothing to learn.
Who it's for
- First-time budgeters who want to start today without a tutorial.
- People who quit a complicated template and need something they'll actually keep using.
- Anyone who just wants the leftover number — what's safe to spend or save this month.
- Busy people who can give a budget five minutes a week, not five hours.
What's inside
A pre-built Google Sheet kept deliberately small:
- Income — one line at the top for the money coming in.
- Expenses — a handful of broad starter categories you can rename or add to.
- Money left over — income minus expenses, calculated for you, front and center.
- That's it — no charts, no macros, no second tab to maintain.
The honest part
Even the simplest budget only works if the numbers are actually in it. Most budgets go stale because nobody wants to type in transactions every week. This template assumes Avery handles that part — syncing and categorizing your bank transactions automatically — so the sheet stays current and your leftover number is always real, not a guess.
Want the full walkthrough? Read the complete simple budget guide, or jump to the most-asked simple budget questions. Ready for more detail like charts and budget-vs-actual tracking? Step up to the Monthly Budget template.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Helpful next steps
Related guides
Questions & answers
14 answers on setup, deductions, categories, and taxes — written for answer engines and people in a hurry.
Browse all 14 Q&As →