Free Google Sheets Expense Tracker Template  Bill Tracker

A Google Sheets expense tracker template lets you log every purchase with its date, category and amount, then shows your spending by category against your budget. This free template does the totals for you, has a monthly summary with a chart and a 12-month view, and works in Excel too. Below it you will also find how to build your own expense tracker, a bill tracker and a receipt tracker.

Get the Free Google Sheets Expense Tracker Template

Open the free Spending Tracker (Google Sheets / Excel)

The template is blank and ready to use. Open the link and choose File > Make a copy so your numbers stay private. To use it in Excel, choose File > Download > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx).

What Is Inside the Spending Tracker?

Colour guide: blue cells are your inputs, black cells are formulas, green cells link from another tab, and yellow cells are settings you can change.

How to Use It, Step by Step

1. Categories tab: edit the category names to match your life and set a monthly budget for each one. Budgets are optional.
2. Expenses tab: log every purchase with the date, description, category, payment method and amount. Use the dropdowns so names stay consistent.
3. Summary tab: see this month's spending by category, what is left of each budget and a chart. To look at another month, change the month in the yellow cell.
4. Year View tab: see all twelve months side by side and compare your average with your budgets.

There is no need to start a new sheet each month. The Summary groups expenses by date, so keep logging in the same Expenses tab.

Use It Daily, Weekly or Monthly

The same sheet works for any rhythm, because the Summary groups expenses by date:

• Daily: log purchases as you make them, or at the end of each day.
• Weekly: set aside 10 minutes once or twice a week to enter receipts and bank-app purchases.
• Monthly: change the month in the yellow cell on the Summary tab for the month-end review, and use the Year View to compare months.

Who Is This Template For?

It is built for personal and household spending: groceries, bills, transport, eating out. For a business or side-hustle version, see the business section below.

Want a Budget Plan Too?

The Spending Tracker records what you spend. If you also want a plan for your income split into needs, wants and savings, our free monthly budget template compares budgeted and actual amounts and checks the 50/30/20 rule. See our monthly budget calculator guide  for how it works. Many people use both: set the plan in the budget, track purchases in the tracker.

Build Your Own Expense Tracker in Google Sheets

If you prefer to build it yourself, it takes about 15 minutes.

Step 1: Create the Log tab

Make a tab called Log with these headers in row 1:

Enter one purchase per row. Format column A as a date and column D as currency.

Step 2: Add a category dropdown

1. Make a Lists tab with your categories in column A (for example Housing, Groceries, Transport, Utilities, Eating Out, Entertainment, Health, Savings, Other).
2. In the Log tab, select the Category column (C2:C1000).
3. Choose Data > Data validation > Add rule, set the criteria to Dropdown (from a range) and select Lists!A2:A20.

A dropdown keeps category names consistent, which is what makes totals accurate.

Step 3: Add a monthly summary

Make a Summary tab. In B1 type the first day of the month you want to see (for example 10/1/2026). List the categories down column A starting in A5. In B5 enter:

=SUMIFS(Log!$D:$D, Log!$C:$C, $A5, Log!$A:$A, ">="&$B$1, Log!$A:$A, "<"&EDATE($B$1,1))

Copy it down the column. Each cell adds up that category's amounts within the chosen month. Change B1 to see another month. Add a total at the bottom with =SUM(B5:B14).

Step 4: Compare with your budget

Put budgeted amounts in column C and calculate the difference in column D: =C5-B5. Positive means under budget; negative means over.

Optional: QUERY or a pivot table

=QUERY(Log!A:D, "select C, sum(D) where A >= date '2026-10-01' and A < date '2026-11-01' group by C label sum(D) 'Total'", 1) groups the log by category (Google Sheets only; change the dates for another month). Or select the Log data, choose Insert > Pivot table, put Category in Rows and Amount in Values (SUM).

How to Create a Bill Tracker in Google Sheets

1. Make a Bills tab with headers: Bill, Due date, Amount, Paid?
2. In the Paid? column, choose Insert > Checkbox.
3. Add a column Days until due with =B2-TODAY().
4. To highlight unpaid bills past their due date, select the rows, choose Format > Conditional formatting, pick Custom formula is, and enter =AND($D2=FALSE, $B2<TODAY()). Choose a red fill.
5. Add a total of what is still unpaid: =SUMIFS(C:C, D:D, FALSE).

For recurring bills, copy the row each month or add one row per month for the year.

How to Track Spending on Your Phone

Use the Google Sheets mobile app for the Expenses or Log tab. For faster entry, create a Google Form with fields for date, description, category and amount, and in the Form's Responses tab choose Link to Sheets. Submitted entries land in a new tab you can use as your log. Bookmark the form on your phone's home screen.

How to Track Receipts in Google Sheets

A receipt tracker is just an expense log with proof attached:

1. Make a Google Drive folder called "Receipts 2026".
2. Photograph or scan each receipt and save it there (the Google Drive app can scan documents). Name files by date and shop, for example 2026-10-14 Costco.
3. In your expense log, add a column called Receipt link. Right-click the file in Drive, choose Share > Copy link, and paste it in that row.
4. Add a Notes column for returns, warranties or the reason for the purchase.

Keeping receipts matters most for returns, warranties, and anything you might deduct, so ask a tax professional what records you need to keep.

Can You Track Business Expenses in Google Sheets?

Yes, but keep it separate from personal spending. Make a copy of the tracker for the business, then change the categories to business ones and add these columns: Vendor, Receipt link, Business purpose and Paid by (business or personal). Typical categories are advertising, software, supplies, travel, meals, professional fees and equipment. Do not mix personal purchases in the same sheet.

Recordkeeping rules differ by business type and country, so ask an accountant or tax professional what you must keep, and for how long. This is general information, not tax advice.

Can You Use Google Docs for an Expense Tracker or Bill Tracker?

You can draw a table in Google Docs and fill it in by hand, but Docs cannot add up columns, filter by month or make charts. For anything beyond a list, use Google Sheets, which does all three and is also free. If you want a printable page, you can build your tracker in Sheets and choose File > Print.

Habits That Make Tracking Work

• Update twice a week. A short, regular session beats a monthly catch-up.
• Keep categories to 8 to 12. Too many makes you give up.
• Record cash too. It is the spending that disappears.
• Enter purchases the same day when you can, from receipts or the bank app.
• Review monthly. Look at your two largest categories and ask if they match your priorities.
• Back up the file. Google Sheets saves automatically, but you can download a copy with File > Download.

Google Sheets vs. Budgeting Apps

For automatic sync, see our guide to the best apps to manage your money . For full control and no subscription, a sheet works well. For other tracking methods, see our guide on how to track your spending .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free expense tracker for Google Sheets? The best one is the one you will actually fill in. The free Spending Tracker above is blank, takes a minute to set up, and gives you a monthly summary and a 12-month view. If you want bank sync instead of manual entry, see the budgeting apps guide.

Can I make a weekly or daily expense tracker in Google Sheets? Yes. Use the same log (date, description, category, amount) and filter or summarise by week or day. The Summary groups by month, so for a weekly view add a filter on the Date column or use a pivot table grouped by week.

Is there a Google Docs expense tracker or bill tracker template? Docs can hold a simple table, but it cannot calculate totals. Use Google Sheets for trackers. See "Can You Use Google Docs for an Expense Tracker?" above.

Can I use Google Sheets to track my personal finances? Yes. A sheet can track spending by category, bills, budgets and savings goals. It will not sync with your bank automatically, so you enter transactions yourself.

Is there a free Google Sheets expense tracker template? Yes. Our Spending Tracker above is free, with no sign-up. Make a copy to your own Google account.

How do I create a bill tracker in Google Sheets? List each bill with its due date and amount, add a checkbox column for paid, and use conditional formatting to highlight unpaid bills past their due date. See the steps above.

Does Google have an expense tracker? Google does not offer a dedicated personal expense-tracking app. People use Google Sheets for this, and its template gallery may include budget templates depending on your account and region. You can also use a free template such as the one above.

How do I track all my spending? Record every purchase, including cash, in one place, give each a category and review the totals regularly. A spreadsheet, an app or even a notebook works if you use it consistently.

How do I use a Google Sheets monthly budget template? Make a copy, enter your take-home income and budgeted amounts, record actual spending as you go, and review the difference each week. See our monthly budget calculator guide.

Can I use the tracker in Excel? Yes. In Google Sheets choose File > Download > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), then check that the dropdowns, formulas and chart look right in your version of Excel.

Is this financial advice? No. These are educational tools for organising your own finances.

Key Takeaways

• The fastest start is to make a copy of the free Spending Tracker and log each purchase.
• The Summary tab shows this month against budget; the Year View shows all 12 months.
• To build your own, create a Log tab with a category dropdown and a SUMIFS summary.
• A bill tracker needs due dates, a checkbox and conditional formatting. A receipt tracker is the same log plus a Drive link column.
• Google Sheets is free and flexible but does not sync with your bank. Consistency matters more than the tool.

---

This article is for educational purposes and isn't individualized financial advice. Consult a qualified professional for decisions specific to your situation.

Written by Montu Das, Editor & Founder of Smart Money Guide. Verify his MetLife Bangladesh advisor profile.