Family History Expenses Log

Who this is for

What the research costs, one line at a time. Each entry has the date, what was bought, the amount, which line of the family it was for and a tick for the receipt, with the total, the count and the average worked out.

Family historians who suspect the hobby costs more than they admit, people sharing the cost of research with a sibling or a cousin, and anyone who has been asked to account for it.

What this helps you track

• Every certificate, subscription, journey, archive fee and book, dated
• What each one cost, in your own currency, added up
• Which line of research each expense served, so a branch's cost can be seen
• Whether a receipt is held, for sharing costs or for your own records
• How many entries there are and what they average

How to use it

1. Write your name and the period the log covers at the top.
2. Enter each expense when it happens: the date, the kind of spend, a few words of detail, the amount and the line of research it was for.
3. Tick the receipt column when you have one, and keep the receipts together in date order.
4. The totals and the summary are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, add the column up at the foot.
5. To see what one branch has cost, sort or filter by the line of research column in the spreadsheet.
6. Start a new sheet each year, or whenever you want a clean total; the finished ones go in the front of the folder.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Which kinds of expense are listed?

Certificate, subscription, travel, archive fee, book and other. They cover most of what a family historian spends; use other and the detail column for anything else, such as postage or a professional's fee.

What goes in 'for which line'?

The surname, couple or branch the spend served, in whatever words you use for it. Being consistent — the same wording each time — is what lets the spreadsheet group it later.

Can I split a cost between two lines?

Enter two lines with a share of the amount on each and say so in the detail column. The total is unaffected and each line of research shows its part.

Does it convert currencies?

No. Enter every amount in one currency, converting yourself where a foreign archive or website charged in another, and note the original in the detail column if it matters.