Build a family budget around the costs you actually have
Enter each take-home income separately. Add housing, food, utilities, transport, childcare and debt payments that come from that income. Rename, remove or add rows to match your household. Include personal spending if it is covered by these incomes. This is one household total; it does not decide who owes what.
Convert different pay and bill frequencies
Monthly average = entered amount × payments per year ÷ 12. This worksheet uses 52 weekly payments, 26 every two weeks, 24 twice monthly, 12 monthly, 4 quarterly and 1 annual payment. For example, $1,200 every two weeks averages $2,600 per month. Each monthly row is rounded in the selected currency before totals are added. These are planning averages, not a specific month's cash receipts.
Include annual costs without counting them twice
A $1,200 annual insurance bill adds $100 per month. A $600 annual school cost adds $50. These provisions are already included in monthly costs. Additional planned savings should cover other goals, not repeat the same insurance or school provision. If a bill is due soon and nothing is set aside, an annual average alone will not fund it in time.
Example household month
The example has $6,800 monthly income, $4,170 average monthly costs and $500 additional planned savings. That leaves $2,130 to plan. Costs include $200 of monthly provisions for annual insurance, school costs and repairs. These are editable illustrations, not typical family expenses or a recommendation for your spending.
Use the remainder to review the plan
Left to plan = average monthly income minus average monthly costs minus additional savings. A negative amount means the plan assigns more than the income entered. A positive amount is unassigned, not verified savings. Add missing costs, revise the amounts or discuss the plan before committing money.
Download a household budget spreadsheet or PDF
Excel contains Income, Costs, Monthly plan and Start here sheets. Blue amounts are editable and formulas recalculate monthly averages. Frequency multipliers and row lists are fixed at export; change them here and export again. PDF and CSV contain values only. For real payday and bill dates, use the biweekly budget instead of this average-month worksheet.
Frequently asked questions
What should a household budget include?
Include take-home income, housing, utilities, food, transport, care costs, debt payments, irregular bills, personal costs paid from that income and planned savings. Adjust the rows to your household.
Can this work for one income or a family with children?
Yes. Remove unused income rows and edit costs such as childcare, school, groceries or transport. The example is not a required family spending pattern.
How do I budget for annual expenses?
Enter the annual amount and choose Yearly. The worksheet divides it by 12. This is an average provision; a bill due soon may require more if you have not already set money aside.
Does this double-count sinking funds as savings?
Annual and quarterly cost provisions are already included in Costs. Do not enter those same provisions again under additional planned savings.
Why is biweekly income multiplied by 26 instead of 24?
Every-two-week pay normally has 26 payments in a full year. Twice-monthly pay has 24. This worksheet uses those annual averages; the biweekly calendar tool counts actual dates.
Can I use the household budget in Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Download Excel for formulas and editable amounts, then open it in Excel or import it into Google Sheets. PDF and CSV are values only.
Are my financial inputs saved?
No. Inputs stay in this page's memory. They are not sent to Oaktally, stored in your browser or placed in the URL. Download before closing or refreshing. Currency changes labels and rounding, not exchange rates.
Further reading
CFPB: Income, bill calendar, cash flow and savings worksheets ↗Educational examples, not individual financial advice.