SmartHelping / Expense Tracking / Excel & Google Sheets
Expense Tracker
Turn your expense entries into monthly and annual reports across three years. Organize spending into up to 250 categories, compare actual expenses with your budget, and review individual transactions by date or amount in Excel or Google Sheets.
Immediate download after purchase. By purchasing, you agree to the Terms of Service.
See the tracker in action
Follow expense entries into the summaries and charts.
Watch the walkthrough to see the data entry, category setup, budget comparison and transaction filters. Open the screenshots below to preview the template.
Four fields for each transaction
Keep expense entry straightforward.
Add each expense to the data tab using a description, category, amount and date. The template supports tens of thousands of individual transactions.
Expense description
Enter a description that identifies the expense.
Expense category
Select the appropriate category from the list you maintain on the validation tab.
Amount
Enter the expense amount for the transaction.
Date
Enter the transaction date for monthly and annual reporting.
Category setup and reporting period
Organize the detail, then review expenses by month and year.
The reports calculate from the transactions you enter and the reporting period you select.
Up to 250 categories
Enter a unique list of up to 250 expense categories on the validation tab. These become the available category choices on the data tab.
Choose the start month in D3
Set the reporting start month in cell D3 on the monthly expense summary tab.
Three-year monthly summary
Review expenses by category for each month across the three-year reporting period.
Annual category summaries
Review annual expense totals by category alongside the monthly reporting.
Budget versus actual spending
See how your actual expenses compare with the plan.
Use the budget input and visual comparisons to review whether spending came in above or below the amount you planned.
Total monthly expense budget
Enter your total expense budget for each month in the budget row.
Monthly budget comparison
Review the chart comparing monthly actual expenses with the monthly budget you entered.
Annual budget comparison
Use the annual budget-versus-actual view and its separate chart to review the yearly picture.
Two category filter tabs
Find the transactions behind a category’s total.
Select one expense category to display its transactions in either of two automatically sorted views.
Most recent expenses first
Review all transactions in the selected category, automatically sorted by most recent date.
Largest expenses first
Review the same selected category’s transactions, automatically sorted by highest expense amount.
Excel and Google Sheets versions
Choose the spreadsheet format that works for you.
The template is available immediately after purchase in Excel and Google Sheets versions.
Google Sheets
Google Sheets is the recommended version for this template and works with a free Gmail account.
Excel compatibility
The last two filter tabs use dynamic-array formulas. Use an Excel version that supports the formulas on those tabs. If your version does not support them, leave the last two filter tabs unused or use the Google Sheets version.
How to use the template
Build a consistent expense-tracking routine.
Define your expense categories
Enter a unique list of categories on the validation tab, up to the 250-category limit.
Set the reporting period and budget
Choose the start month in D3 on the monthly expense summary tab, then enter the total monthly expense budgets.
Record your transactions
Add the description, category, amount and date for each expense on the data tab.
Review spending and investigate the detail
Check monthly and annual category summaries and budget comparisons. Use the category filters to find recent transactions or the largest expenses.
Who this tracker is for
For people and businesses that want clearer expense records.
Personal budgeting
Organize spending into your own categories and compare actual expenses with a monthly budget.
Business expense tracking
Maintain a detailed transaction list, review category totals and identify the expenses behind changes in monthly spending.
Also available in these bundles
Need more accounting and construction tools?
This template is included in the Accounting and Construction bundles. The Super Smart Bundle includes the complete public SmartHelping template collection.
Accounting Templates
Explore templates for expense tracking, budgeting, cash flow and financial reporting.
View the Accounting bundleConstruction Templates
Explore spreadsheets for construction planning, job tracking and financial analysis.
View the Construction bundleSuper Smart Bundle
Access the complete public SmartHelping template collection across industries and financial-analysis needs.
View the Super Smart BundleMore database reporting tools
Explore another approach to filtering and reporting in Google Sheets.
Questions before you buy
A few useful details.
How many expense categories and transactions can I track?
Define up to 250 unique expense categories. The data tab can handle tens of thousands of individual transactions.
How do I choose the reporting start month?
Enter the start month in cell D3 on the monthly expense summary tab. The template reports expenses by category across three years on monthly and annual bases.
How do category choices appear on the data tab?
Enter the unique category names on the validation tab. That list supplies the category options for each expense entered on the data tab.
Is the budget entered as a monthly total?
Yes. Enter your total monthly expense budget in the budget row. The template compares actual expenses with the budget in monthly and annual views, each with its own chart.
How do the two transaction filters differ?
Both show transactions for one selected expense category. One sorts by most recent date; the other sorts by highest expense amount.
Are both Excel and Google Sheets versions available?
Yes. Both versions are available after purchase. Google Sheets is the recommended option and works with a free Gmail account. The last two Excel filter tabs require support for their dynamic-array formulas.
Understand where the money went
Keep expenses organized and the budget in view.
Get the Expense Tracker for $45 and review three years of spending in Excel or Google Sheets.
