Basic Budgeting Strategies with Google Sheets

Name: Basic Budgeting Strategies with Google Sheets
Rating: 4.9 (5 reviews)

Straight forward Money Management with Goal Setting and Google Sheets

Created byBrittani Ball

Last updated 8/2023

English

What you'll learn

Students will be able to identify and create a money calendar to be integrated in their monthly budget.
Students will be able to build a realistic budget in 30 minutes or less using Google Sheets.
Students will be able to analyze their spending habits and adjust their monthly budget accordingly.
Students will be able to customize the Google Sheets budget template to match their unique monthly budget situation.

Course content

7 sections • 32 lectures • 1h 32m total length

Introduction1:31
Google Sheets is one of the easiest platforms to manage your personal finances. This course will help you strategize the perfect monthly budget for YOU!
Setting Money Goals2:41
The first step in overcoming financial craziness is by organizing your money goals. This lecture walks you through discovering your financial goals.
Activity: Your Turn!0:27
The first activity of the course, helps you identify your money goals. Strong money goals allow you to budget more effectively!
Overview0:52
Understanding your goals for financial security will guide your budget decisions and set you on the right path to money management success!

Introduction1:38
Needs and wants are basically comprised of your regular fixed and variable expenses. This section dives into determining those in your finances. This section will help you better understand your current financial situation and prep you for budget categories.
Comparing Wants and Needs1:07
You have to be transparent with yourself when it comes to reviewing your current spending. What's important and what's expendable?
Prioritizing Your Spending2:06
Prioritizing your spending sets the foundation for smart budget planning. Having a go to system for this will help you budget faster and more efficiently each month.
Activity: Log Your Needs and Wants0:30
Once you identify your needs and wants, they will seamlessly funnel into your budget categories. What are your needs and wants? Use this lecture to log them.

Introduction1:46
The budget template is the best part of the course! Download the Google Sheet and navigate this effective budgeting system. This section explains the budgeting workbook tabs and how to use them.
Download the template1:32
Save a copy of the budgeting template to your Google Drive. Make sure to make a copy before editing the document!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1SqAWB8f0-2KkjqAnOJ2sEsruSzSraNRHBxeFfrmP9EM/copy?pli=1
Budget Overview2:04
The budget overview provides an At-A-Glance view of your budget and spending.
Expense Calendar2:37
The expense calendar outlines your regular transactions for easy reference.
Account Snapshot4:17
The account snapshot keeps your bank accounts up-to-date and provides a place to track your savings and debt management.
Transactions5:47
The transaction tab allows you to log your spending and compare it to your budget!
Monthly Tabs7:57
The monthly tabs house your monthly budget. Use these regularly to stay on track.
Activity: Using the Workbook0:10
Jasmine's budget will allow you to practice using the budget template and customizing it.
Activity review8:47
How did you do with the sample budget? This lecture walks you through the "answer key", how I would approach it.
Customizing the Template7:11
Still lost on customizing your budget categories? Here's a video that demonstrates how to change your checking account, saving account, and budget category names. I hope this helps, but if it doesn't you can always send me a message for help!

Introduction1:27
This section walks you through creating your budget categories. These will form YOUR customized budget workbook.
Understanding Budget Categories3:24
Budget categories allow you to organize your spending and create guidelines for sticking to your goals.
Activity: Creating Your Baseline Budget0:33
Brainstorm and outline your budget categories. Think about how your needs and wants form those sections.
Stay Focused!0:53
Don't forget your money goals! Money goals should influence the budget categories you choose and the money you allot to each of them.

Introduction0:45
This section teaches strategies to compare your spending to your budget.
Categorizing Transactions1:31
Transaction logging is the key to budget analysis, because you have to compare your actions to your plan. This lecture allows you to incorporate your transaction log into the budget workbook.
Comparing to the Budget2:34
Let's compare the budget to your spending! How consistent is your spending with your budgeted amounts?
Adjust Spending/Budget2:45
This lecture provides tactics to adjust your budget or spending in order to reach your money goals.

Requirements

Be able to list your current expenses and example purchases you make in a week.
Basic understanding of Google Sheets such as completing tabs and creating new tabs.

Description

Do you want a new budget system that actually works? Something that’s not complicated but is still effective? I had the same problem and tried all the apps, spreadsheet templates and even budget binders from mom bloggers on Pinterest. It was either too restrictive, lacking direction or was simply too complicated.

So what finally worked for me? Google Sheets.

In this course, you will learn how to use my Google Sheets template for creating a monthly budget. I created this template over a year ago and still use it for myself. I’ve taken my background in personal organization, non-profit financial management, and accounting knowledge to create something straightforward and effective.

The key to REAL budgeting is organizing your thoughts, setting goals, and monitoring your activity. In this course, you’ll learn how to do all of that for the ultimate personal financial management experience.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Set financial goals
Identify your wants and needs in your spending
Learn how to navigate my budget template
Create your monthly budget in 30 minutes or less
Analyze your daily spending to adjust to your financial goals

Not only will this course focus on developing your financial goals, but taking an in-depth look into the template and customizing it for your own personal finances. You’ll have a clear understanding of what you do with your money to reach your goals.

This course contains:

Short and straightforward instructional videos
Hands-on activities from the start
Downloadable content with lifelong access
Instructor support in customizing your budget from the template
Bonus money management resources at the end of the course

Join this course if you love the flexibility of Google Drive and want a new and effective budget system!

Bonus Content! As of 2022, there are additional lessons talking about money mindset and personal money management. These best practices will help you get out of the cycle of paycheck to paycheck living and thinking small about what you can do and how you can earn more.

Who this course is for:

Entry level employees working in a corporate environment.
Someone who finds themselves overspending or barely has money to last a full pay period.
Beginner budgeters who still find themselves missing bill due dates.
Someone looking to organize their money before setting huge savings goals.

Basic Budgeting Strategies with Google Sheets

What you'll learn

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Course content

Welcome!4 lectures • 6min

Identifying wants and needs4 lectures • 5min

Using the Budget Workbook Template10 lectures • 42min

Creating the Budget Categories4 lectures • 6min

Analyze Spending4 lectures • 8min

Money Mindset & Financial Literacy Best Practices3 lectures • 24min

Conclusion3 lectures • 2min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: