Budgeting templates for Excel

[greedy4chips]

If you use Microsoft Office and need a free budget planner go to the following site and download the template that fits your needs.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/re...uery=financial

I have not tried it yet, but thought someone here may have and could comment on them.

BTW the templates are free, MS Office is not.

[poundwise]

Nice find.

And, while MS Office is not free, OpenOffice is and Calc can handle those Excel docs nicely.

[PRICEPLUS]

greedy4chips, thanks for the heads up!

[tinapbeana]

on the subject of Excel templates: someone had commented that they liked the way my budget was organized, so i'm attaching the template i made. should be pretty self explanitory, but just in case 1) enter your net income 2) enter your percentage goals for expenses and various savings 3) note your expenses in the right areas and enter the dollar amount. all other percentages and dollar amounts are calculated for you at this point.

[vsjhoc]

Originally Posted by tinapbeana

on the subject of Excel templates: someone had commented that they liked the way my budget was organized, so i'm attaching the template i made. should be pretty self explanitory, but just in case 1) enter your net income 2) enter your percentage goals for expenses and various savings 3) note your expenses in the right areas and enter the dollar amount. all other percentages and dollar amounts are calculated for you at this point.

Tina - This is very cool. I just have one question -- why is the retirement savings expressed as a percentage of net income? Do you contribute to after-tax IRAs only, as opposed to pre-tax 401(k)? Or am I just confused?

[tinapbeana]

Originally Posted by vsjhoc

Tina - This is very cool. I just have one question -- why is the retirement savings expressed as a percentage of net income? Do you contribute to after-tax IRAs only, as opposed to pre-tax 401(k)? Or am I just confused?

Couple of reasons. A) the 60-10-10-10-10 % method on the Excel sheet is what I've found the most effective as I'm just now starting in my budget madness Also, where I work does not have a 401k, and where DH works has a cruddy 401k that we don't participate in (it's a newspaper and their company match is only in company stock, which ain't so hot). Therefore, our goal is to stash a percentage towards retirement for the time being.

[MonkeyMama]

I used the microsoft personal budget as a start. But at home on some computers we have excel and some we have open office. I can vouch they work fine in open office and back and forth.

Tina thank you so much - I think it would be great to see what other people do. I just wanted a start but am altering it little by little to fit my own means. If I like yours I may have to start all over... I would love more ideas as well.

Oh - I liked the one I got from microsift because it was an annual budget to look at the big picture. I then use the format on a monthly basis to see compare budget vs. actual. I haven't really got past that point yet. For me it was a start and I have done some pretty major customizing.

I'll check yours out later, but thanks!