A free household budget worksheet PDF or Excel printable probably doesn’t sound super exciting, but it is. No, really! Consistently using free printable budget sheets (PDF or Excel versions) can help your family find their way out of debt and realize all of their financial dreams … and what could be better than that? 🙂
Did you know that 36% of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck (Source)? As most of you have probably figured out, I’m very passionate about saving money. I’m equally as passionate about helping others do the same, and the first step toward financial health is to establish a budget. A free household budget worksheet PDF, like the one I’m about to share with you, is an easy guide to get you started!
I’m so passionate about helping others that I actually wrote a book, Secrets of a Successful Family CFO, all about taking control of the family finances. In the book, I devote an entire chapter to budgeting and share valuable resources like free printable budget worksheets, so be sure to check it out. In the meantime, let’s get started with this printable budget worksheet (PDF and Excel downloads available).
While filling out a household budget template printable, like this one, is super important, most families simply don’t do it. In fact, according to 60 Minute Finance only 32% of families make a budget each month.
Yep, less than half.
Why? That’s a good question. I think for most people budgets are boring and intimidating at the same time, which is not a great combination. In fact, they can feel eerily reminiscent of doing your taxes!
However, I assure you that filing out a free household budget worksheet PDF printable is neither difficult nor super time-consuming. Actually, if you complete one of these free printable household budget worksheets each month it’ll get faster and easier each time! And, while you’ll probably find this hard to believe right now, with time, you’ll find it less and less boring … especially as you see progress toward your family’s financial goals! 🙂
Tip: Sometimes people put things off simply because they don’t have the right tool for the job. While I love this free printable household budget worksheet, if it doesn’t work for you, don’t give up. Two other great options to explore are this 2 page printable budget worksheet and this colorful household budget template printable.
These printable budget sheet PDF files will help you compare your monthly income to your expenses and make adjustments where necessary. In order to help you be as precise as possible, I’ve attempted to account for every possible expense in this printable budget worksheet PDF, but don’t feel like you have to fill in every line. For instance, if you don’t have any kids you probably don’t have a college fund.
Tip: This budget calculator can help you think of other expenses to add to your free printable household budget worksheet as well as do some of the math for you! 😉
So, how do you actually use this household budget template printable? It’s actually pretty darn simple.
2. With your spouse, sit down and start filling the out the free printable household budget worksheet.
Tip: The “with your spouse” part of this step is important! Making sure both partners are on the same page will help ensure compliance and accountability!
3. Start by filling in your income and any “must-have” expenses such as rent, water, and electric.
4. Once you have filled in your “must-have” expenses, you can move on to “nice-to-have” expenses.
Tip: When filling out the household budget worksheet, think carefully about what is a “must-have” and what is a “nice-to-have” expense. Luxuries like cable, name-brand products, and eating out are definitely not must-haves. Sorry!
5. Look for ways you can trim expenses.
Tip: Consider making a copy of the free printable budget sheets PDF, giving one to your spouse, and then looking for savings opportunities separately. Reconvene at a set time and see what you individually came up with.
One super easy way to save money is to avoid interest and late charges on bills! These bill due stickers planner printable can help you stay on track.
6. Stick to your household budget template printable! If you do not complete step 6 there’s really no point to steps 1-5.
7. Next month, rinse and repeat. Start with step one and download another free printable budget sheet PDF (or open a fresh Excel file).
The only difference is that this month you’ll compare your progress to last month—were you able to stick to your previous budget? How much money did you save? Are you closer to your financial goals? Are there any additional tweaks that can be made?
This free household budget worksheet PDF/Excel printable is just the first step. If you’re ready to dive even deeper into your family’s finances, download:
Give thisfree household budget worksheet (PDF or Excel) printable a try and share your experience in the comments! I’d also love to hear what motivates you to stick to your budget.
