Personal Budget & Financial Planning Spreadsheet

PERSONAL BUDGET & FINANCIAL PLANNING SPREADSHEET

Do you know where your money is actually going—and whether you can afford the financial decisions you are considering?

This easy-to-use spreadsheet helps you see your full financial picture in one place. It goes beyond a basic monthly budget by helping you track your spending, plan your savings, prepare for future costs, assess new commitments and calculate your net worth.

What the spreadsheet helps you do

• Compare your monthly budget with your actual spending
• Capture income from your salary, business, side hustles and other sources
• Identify commonly forgotten expenses
• See your monthly surplus or shortfall
• Calculate a three-month or six-month emergency fund
• Set savings goals and include estimated interest
• See how much you need to save every month
• Plan for irregular and future expenses
• Test whether you can afford a new financial commitment
• Calculate your assets, liabilities and net worth
• View a simple summary of your finances on the dashboard

A detailed expense checklist

The spreadsheet includes an extensive list of possible expenses to help you remember costs that are often left out of a budget, including:

• Bond repayments, rent, levies and household costs
• Groceries, takeaways and food deliveries
• Car instalments, fuel, insurance, trackers and maintenance
• School fees, uniforms, stationery, tutors and extracurricular activities
• Medical aid, insurance policies and medical costs
• Credit cards, personal loans and other debt repayments
• Wi-Fi, cellphone contracts, data and digital subscriptions
• Beauty treatments, clothing, gym memberships and social clubs
• Pet food, veterinary care and pet insurance
• Church contributions, ministry support and family support
• Bank charges, savings and investment contributions
• Entertainment, travel, celebrations and other lifestyle costs

Plan for future costs before they become emergencies

Prepare for expenses such as:

• Vehicle services, tyres and licence renewals
• Balloon payments
• School uniforms and stationery
• Tertiary registration and setup costs
• Matric dances and graduation expenses
• Weddings, birthdays, baby showers and other events
• Moving costs, deposits, furniture and appliances
• Medical co-payments and insurance excesses
• Holidays, festive-season expenses and gifts

The spreadsheet can calculate how many months away the expense is, how much you need to put aside monthly and the estimated interest you may earn.

Can you afford a new commitment?

Use the flexible affordability section to assess almost any new financial decision, including:

• A car
• A house
• School fees
• A pet
• A subscription
• Supporting a family member
• Any other new monthly commitment

Add the full monthly costs—not only the instalment—and see how the decision could affect your existing budget.

Beginner-friendly

You do not need to understand complicated financial language. The spreadsheet uses simple instructions, clear sections and yellow input cells to show you exactly where to enter your information.

For the most accurate picture, use your recent bank statements to identify your real expenses and recurring deductions.

Please note: This is a digital spreadsheet and no physical product will be delivered. The results are estimates based on the information and assumptions entered and should not be considered financial advice.