5 Personal Budget Templates for Excel (Free Download)

Money feels manageable when you can actually see where it’s going. Instead of guessing at the end of the month, a personal budget template gives you structure, clarity and a simple way to stay in control. Whether you’re planning weekly spending or mapping out long-term savings, the right tool turns scattered numbers into a clear financial picture.

What Is a Personal Budget Template?

A personal budget template is a structured spreadsheet designed to help someone record income, track expenses and compare the two over a specific period of time. It organizes financial information into categories such as housing, groceries, utilities and discretionary spending, allowing you to see how money flows in and out on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. By laying everything out in one place, it becomes easier to identify spending patterns, adjust habits and maintain financial balance.

Why Use a Personal Budget Template for Excel

Using a personal budget template for Excel makes the budgeting process faster and more accurate because much of the calculation work happens automatically. Built-in formulas total income, sum expense categories and instantly show the difference between what you earn and what you spend.

The following personal budgeting templates are fully customizable, you can adjust categories, timeframes and formatting to match your financial situation, turning a basic spreadsheet into a practical, personalized budgeting system.

5 Personal Budget Templates

Some people want a simple split they can follow every month, while others need a personal budgeting template with a tighter breakdown that shows exactly what’s left after spending. These five personal budget templates make that process easier by turning your income into clear spending limits and then tracking how your real expenses stack up.

1. 50/30/20 Budget Template

To use this personal budget template for Excel, start by filling in the small table at the top with your name and monthly income, then let the spreadsheet do the heavy lifting. As soon as that income number is entered, the template automatically divides it into three preset buckets: 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings. With those targets set, you enter your actual expenses under each category.

Once the expense lines are filled out, the template automatically totals spending for needs, wants and savings, then calculates the difference between the amount allocated to each bucket and what you actually spent, revealing your remaining balance for each category.

2. 70/20/10 Budget Template

This personal budgeting template for Excel follows the exact same workflow as the 50/30/20 version, but it uses a different split to reflect a more expense-heavy or goal-driven budget. You begin by entering your name and monthly income in the top table, and the spreadsheet automatically allocates that income into three categories: 70% for living expenses, 20% for financial goals and 10% for fun and lifestyle spending.

After that, you input your expenses under each bucket. The template then adds up the expenses per category and calculates the difference between each category’s income allocation and its total expenses, so you can immediately see the balance remaining for living expenses, financial goals and fun.

3. Weekly Budget Template

Everything begins at the top of the sheet, where you enter your name and monthly income. As soon as that monthly figure is added, this personal budget template for Excel automatically divides it by four to calculate your available weekly budget. Just below, you define the four specific weeks you’re planning for by entering date ranges, such as “Week 1 (1/4/2026 – 1/10/2026),” so each period is clearly framed.

From there, the weekly amount is automatically divided by seven to determine your daily available budget. That daily limit is structured using a 50/30/20 split for needs, wants and savings. Once you begin entering daily expenses, the spreadsheet compares them against the calculated daily and weekly targets, making it immediately clear whether you’re staying within limits or gradually exceeding them.

4. Zero-Based Budget Template

Every month starts from zero with this zero-based budget template, which helps you assign your entire income to specific expense categories before spending begins. Simply enter your monthly income and planned expenses, and built-in formulas automatically total your spending and calculate the balance. Adjust allocations until income minus expenses equals zero, ensuring every dollar has a clear purpose.

How to Make a Project Budget with ProjectManager

A personal budget template for Excel is a useful tool for personal finance management, but if you’re interested in making a budget for your personal or professional projects, use ProjectManager instead. ProjectManager is designed to create detailed project budgets. Simply make a list of project tasks using the list, sheet or Gantt chart view, allocate resources such as people, materials or equipment and estimate their costs. Then, establish a budget amount.

Once the project starts, enter actual project costs and ProjectManager will automatically calculate the difference between estimated costs and actual costs and will display this information in real-time dashboards and reports so you can check whether the project costs are exceeding the budget at a glance. Watch the video to learn more!

Related Personal Budgeting Content

• How to Make a Budget Plan for Personal Finance Management
• How to Prioritize Tasks With Personal Kanban Boards
• 4 Steps to Personal Time Management
• 18 Budget Templates for Business & Project Budgeting
• Project Budget Tracking: A Step-by-Step Guide
• What Is a Budget Report? Purpose, Components & Benefits
• Manage a Project Budget with Project Budgeting Software
• What Is a Business Budget? Business Budgeting Basics

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