Monthly Money Check-In Sheet

Who this is for

A short monthly money meeting on one page. Cover last month's surprises, what falls due next, where balances stand and who does what.

Couples and households who share money and want a regular, calm conversation about it, and anyone who keeps their own finances and wants a monthly habit of looking.

What this helps you track

• Last month's surprises and what caused them
• Bills, renewals and one-off costs due next month
• Savings and debt balances now and last month
• The decisions made at the meeting
• Actions with an owner and a date

How to use it

1. Agree a regular date and fill in the month, who is there and the date.
2. Start with last month: note anything that cost more than expected and why.
3. Go through bills and renewals due next month, then any one-off costs coming up and how they will be covered.
4. Write in the current balance of each savings account and debt, from your own statements, with last month's figure beside it.
5. Agree actions, give each one an owner and a date, and tick them off at the next check-in.
6. Keep the sheets together, on paper or saved in your own browser, so each meeting starts from the last.

Formats

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

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 online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

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

How long should a check-in take?

As long as the sheet takes to fill in, which for most households is a short sit-down. Keeping to the sections stops it becoming a long argument about one purchase.

Do we need to bring figures?

The balance section needs current figures from your bank and card apps. Everything else can come from memory and the calendar, though statements help with the surprises section.

What if we disagree about a decision?

Write it down as undecided with an action to find out more, and come back to it next month. The sheet records decisions; it does not settle them for you.

Is this only for couples?

No. It works for one person holding themselves to a monthly review, for adult housemates sharing bills, and for families including older children in money conversations.