Money for the Rest of Us

I have recently started using Google Documents and Spreadsheets to manage my budget. If you haven’t heard of Google’s Docs and Spreadsheets here’s the lowdown: With Documents and Spreadsheets you can upload, create, or email yourself a document or spreadsheet and it will be saved online allowing you to access it from any computer (provided that you have a Google Account). I have found that managing, completing (and sticking to) my budget has been much easier using this method than any other method I’ve used in the past. Here’s why:

1. You can view your budget from any computer. Having your budget available online allows you to check to see if a purchase is reasonable for that month. (For example, at the end of February I was debating whether or not to go to an expensive dinner with a friend. I wanted to go, but I didn’t want to blow my budget. So, I quickly logged in to my spreadsheet and there I had it!- I knew I had enough funds to go.)
2. You can update your budget from any computer. You can continually update your budget and having it available online allows you to quickly go in and add an expense from wherever you are. I keep a running total of my expenses by category and log into my budget a few times a week to insert these expenses.
3. You can share it with others. Having you budget on Google Spreadsheets allows you to share it with your spouse/significant other/partner (or anyone else you might like to share your budget with).

If you still haven’t set up a budget or don’t have one in Excel, there are two excellent spreadsheets that that you can download at I Will Teach You to be Rich. (There are two links in the middle of the post). I tested both and if you download either one to your computer and then upload it to Google Spreadsheets the equations remain intact.

Quite honestly, I have never really been able to keep up a budget before because I find it hard to sit down at the end of the month and add up all of my expenses (and I never really liked Quicken or Money). Adding expenses as I accrue them into my Google Spreadsheets budget is easy, fast, and unlike other online software programs (like Mvelopes) it’s free!

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