Are you having problems with budgeting your finances? Sure, there are plenty of money management applications out there, but most require hefty paid subscriptions, ironic right?
Google Sheets is a tool you can use for budgeting like a pro. It’s free, easy to use, and accessible anywhere, like your phone, tablet, or laptop. You just need to have a google account, a template, and a little knowledge about some of the spreadsheet formulas and you’re all set. You can now easily switch in between your devices when tracking your income and expenses.
Check out some of the simple Google Sheets formulas below that will make budgeting easier for you!
5 Google Sheets Formulas For Budgeting
What’s good about using formulas is that you can use these to automate your spreadsheet budget template, so you won’t even need to input the formulas every time.
1. Basic Arithmetic Operations
Of course, budgeting won’t be complete without the basic arithmetic operations- addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. To simply perform these operations on Google Sheets, just type the equal sign “=” to begin writing your formula, select the cells, type “+” for addition, “-” for subtraction, “*” for multiplication, and “/” for division. Press Enter after completing your formula, and the result will show.
For instance, you may want to calculate the difference between your planned budget and your actual spending, such as the one below.
2. SUM
The SUM formula is very helpful in getting the total of columns or rows. In budgeting, you can use this to calculate your total expenses in each category.
To use this function, type the following:
= SUM ( *select the cells you want to be added* )
In the example below, we calculated the total of the planned budget.
3. SUMIFS
The SUMIFS formula returns the sum of a range depending on multiple criteria. It has the following syntax:
= SUMIFS (sum_range, criteria_range1, criterion1, [criteria_range2, criterion2, …])
wherein:
- sum_range is the range where Sheets will calculate the SUM.
- criteria_range1 is the range to check against criterion1.
- criterion1 is the criteria that must be met or not to apply to criteria_range1.
- criteria_range2, criterion2, … are optional. These are extra ranges and criteria for the formula to check.
This formula is beneficial when you have multiple categories, and you want to get the total expenses or income from a specific category. Take a look at the example below.
We got the total weekly food expenses paid using cash and card using the SUMIFS syntax. You can also do this for the other categories.
4. AVERAGE
The AVERAGE function returns the mean (average) value in a dataset, ignoring texts. It has a syntax of:
= AVERAGE (value1, [value2, …])
wherein:
- value1 This is the first value or range of values the argument considers when calculating the average.
- value2, … is optional. These are other values or ranges the calculation can consider.
Let us use the example below and calculate the average food expenses for the week.
5. AVERAGEIFS
The AVERAGEIFS function gives a result for an average of a calculated range depending on multiple criteria. Its syntax is below.
= AVERAGEIFS(average_range, criteria_range1, criterion1, [criteria_range2, criterion2, …])
wherein:
- average_range is the range where the average will be considered.
- criteria_range1 is the range to check against criterion1.
- criterion1 is the pattern or test to apply to criteria_range1.
- criteria_range2, criterion2, … are optional. These are extra ranges and criteria for the function to use.
This function is very similar to the SUMIFS function, except that the average is what we are trying to calculate here. Take a look at our previous example, but we will calculate the average expenses for food paid using cash in this case.
Easy and Free Budgeting With Google Sheets
Now that you’ve learned the Google Sheets formulas for budgeting, you can create your budgeting spreadsheet and start tracking your finances like a pro!
