Expenses by Category and Month Spreadsheet

Who this is for

Where the money goes, month by month. Twelve months run down the page and up to seven expense headings of your own choosing run across it, so each month's total and each category's year sit on one grid you can read at a glance.

Sole traders and freelancers who want to see how their costs move through the year, and anyone preparing figures for a tax return who would rather total one grid than a year of receipts.

What this helps you track

• What each expense category cost in each month
• Each month's total business spending
• Which category costs the most over the year
• The highest month and the average month

How to use it

1. Write the business and the month your year starts in; Month 1 is that month.
2. Fill in the category key: a heading of your own for each letter, what goes in it and, if useful, the tax return box it feeds.
3. At the end of each month total your receipts or cashbook by category and write the figures on that month's row.
4. Row totals, column totals and the summary are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, add across and down.
5. Use the highest month and the largest category to decide where to look first when costs need cutting.

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

Why are the categories letters rather than names?

Because every business spends differently. Write your own headings in the category key, such as materials, fuel, phone, software or insurance, and the letters on the grid follow them.

What if I need more than seven headings?

Group the smaller ones under a general heading, or run a second copy of the sheet for the rest. Seven is what fits across a printed page with the totals still readable.

Should I use the same categories as my tax return?

It saves work at the year end if they line up. The return box column in the key is there so you can note which box each category feeds; what is allowable is for your tax authority's rules to decide.

Where do the monthly figures come from?

From your cashbook, bank statements or receipts, totalled by category. The grid is a summary, so keep the underlying records as well.