No-Spend Challenge Tracker

Who this is for

A line a day for a no-spend run of whatever length you set. Tick the day if nothing went out, and if something did, write what and how much. The sheet counts the clear days and totals the spending, so the run is measured rather than remembered.

Anyone doing a no-spend week, month or weekend, people cutting back after an expensive stretch, and households running the challenge together and wanting one sheet between them.

What this helps you track

• Which days passed with nothing spent at all
• What went out on the days that were not clear, and on what
• Whether the spending was one you had allowed for in your own rules
• The running count of clear days through the challenge
• What the whole run cost, against the rules you set yourself

How to use it

1. Write what the challenge is, the dates it runs between and — in your own words — what counts as spending and what is allowed.
2. Add a line for each day, with the date. The day number column is for counting through the run.
3. Tick the no-spend box on days when nothing went out under your own rules.
4. On the other days write the amount and what it was for, and tick allowed if it was something your rules permitted.
5. The counts and totals are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, count the ticks and add the amounts up.
6. At the end, read the summary and write down what you would change before the next run.

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

What counts as a no-spend day?

Whatever you decide before you start, which is why there is a field for your rules at the top. Most people allow bills and direct debits already in place and count only discretionary spending; the sheet takes no view.

How long should the challenge be?

That is yours to set. The sheet takes a start and end date and a line per day, so a weekend, a week and a month all work. Nothing on the page assumes a length.

What is the allowed column for?

For spending that broke the no-spend rule but was within the exceptions you wrote at the top — a prescription, a train fare to work. It keeps the honest record without turning every unavoidable cost into a failure.

Can two people share one sheet?

On paper, yes, if you agree the rules first. The browser version saves in your own browser, so each person's copy is separate; print it or download the PDF if you both want the same sheet.