Free Monthly Budget Spreadsheet (Jamaican Dollars)

Most budget templates online are made for America, with lines for things we don't pay and nothing for the things we do. This one is built around a normal Jamaican household: light bill, water bill, cooking gas, taxi fare, lunch money, school fees, partner hand and church.

Put in what you plan to spend at the start of the month, then fill in what you actually spent as you go. The sheet shows where you went over and how much is left.

What you can do with it

• Plan your month before payday so the money has a job before it's gone
• Compare planned against actual for every line
• See your money left over and how much you saved, all in one box
• Track your partner (pardna) hand and draw alongside your other savings
• Rename any line to fit your life

Good to know

• The salary and rent figures are only examples. Put in your own.
• In the Left/(Over) column, a negative number means you spent more than planned on that line.
• Make a copy of the tab for each month, so you can look back and spot patterns.
• Pay yourself first. Move your savings at the start of the month, not at the end.
• Works in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice, so you can use it on your phone too.