Inflation Budget Kit: Grocery, Gas & Bills Tracker + 20 Ways to Cut Costs (Google Sheets & Excel)

Prices went up. See exactly where your money goes, then try two changes that fit your life.

This is the simple tracker I'd give a friend who feels squeezed by groceries, gas and bills. You log what you spend, set a goal for the month, and the sheet shows where you stand. A short PDF gives you 20 ways to cut costs, so you can pick two and try them.

What's inside: a Month tab (your goals for groceries, gas and bills, and how much of each you've used); a Groceries tab (log each shop, see spending by week and by type); a Gas tab (log each fill-up, see cost per mile, miles per gallon and your monthly total); a Bills tab (planned vs paid, plus a column to track any bill you manage to lower); a Price Hikes tab (what you buy often, with the price a year ago and now, so you can see what higher prices cost you each month and year); and a 4-page PDF guide with 20 ways to cut costs and a month-end review page.

Works in Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. No subscription, no bank login, no app. Your numbers stay in your own file.

How the math works: totals of what you type, compared with the goals you set. Cost per mile = fill-up cost divided by miles since your last fill-up. We checked every total against a separate calculation, and in a real spreadsheet app, and they matched to the cent.

Honest note: this is an educational planning tool, not financial, tax or legal advice. It can't promise any amount saved: that depends on your prices and your choices. The example numbers are made up.