Vertex42 is the best free source for budget templates: it has 20+ of them, from household and zero-based budgets to a business budget and a startup costs sheet, and they work in Excel, Google Sheets and OpenOffice. If you don't use Excel, Template.net has monthly budgets in Word, Google Docs, PDF, Pages and Numbers, and Microsoft's Excel gallery has free business, event and website budgets.
The design of a budget template matters far less than the method behind it. A budget that suits someone paid weekly won't suit a freelancer with lumpy income, and a household planner won't line up with your business accounts. So start with how you want to budget, then pick the file.
Match the budgeting method to the free template
| Method | Free template | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Zero-based | Vertex42 Zero-Based Budget Worksheet | You give every bit of income a job until the final budget equals zero |
| Monthly household | Vertex42 Household Budget Worksheet | Detailed categories, with Budget and Actual columns side by side |
| Yearly | Vertex42 Family Budget Planner or Personal Budget Spreadsheet | The 12-month versions of the monthly sheets |
| Weekly or biweekly | Vertex42 weekly versions | For people who manage their spending week to week |
| Project | Vertex42 project budget | Labour, materials and fixed costs, with four worksheets from simple to complex |
| Business | Vertex42 Business Budget | Income and expenses in categories that match an income statement |
| Startup | Vertex42 Business Start Up Costs | One-time costs and ongoing monthly costs, with an AI Assistant worksheet |
Vertex42: free, and you don't need Excel
Vertex42 says all of its budget templates can be downloaded for personal use at no charge, and the featured ones also work in OpenOffice and Google Sheets. So if you don't own Excel, the only thing stopping you is the time it takes to fill one in. If you've never budgeted before, Vertex42 suggests starting with its Income and Expense worksheet to see where your spending goes, then trying the Zero-Based Budget Worksheet as an exercise.
The Household Budget Worksheet is the one most people will want. It has a main category for children, pets, business expenses and holidays, and you fill in the light blue Budget and Actual cells. The Difference column turns red when you've overspent, and a summary table shows whether your month came out ahead or behind. There's also a student budget, a home budget that splits deductible and non-deductible expenses, a monthly cash flow worksheet and a budget calendar.
The licence, in plain words
Most Vertex42 templates use its Private Use licence, and the zero-based sheet says Personal Use. You can use and customise them for yourself or inside your company, but not sell them or share them publicly. The surprise is the sharing rule. Vertex42's own example of fine private sharing is a budget shared with a spouse or roommate, but if the file lives in Google Drive, link sharing must be off. 'Anyone with the link' isn't allowed.
How the zero-based worksheet works
Zero-based budgeting sounds harder than it looks. Vertex42's worksheet walks you through it in four steps.
- List every source of income for the month. If you're paid weekly, Vertex42 suggests basing the month on four weeks of pay.
- Enter your budget: what you plan to save and what you plan to spend, category by category.
- Make changes until the final budget equals zero, so every part of your income has somewhere to go.
- Track your actual income and expenses through the month and compare.
Two of its tips are worth stealing even if you use another sheet. Plan for big bills, like car or home repairs, by dividing the yearly cost by 12 and setting that aside each month. And if you're paying off debts with a debt snowball, only put the minimum payments in the debt section, because the extra goes in savings.
If you'd rather not use Excel: Template.net and Microsoft's gallery
Template.net shows the file types up front, which is handy if you live in Apple or Google apps. Its monthly budgets come in Word, Google Docs, Excel, PDF, Google Sheets, Apple Pages and Apple Numbers. The list is broad: Simple Monthly Budget, Personal Monthly, Business Monthly, Nonprofit Monthly, Monthly Cash Budget, a College Student Budget Worksheet and a Subscription Tracker. The main budget page adds a Coffee Shop Budget, a Freelancer Budget, a Startup Budget, a Marketing Budget and a Budget for Married Couples. You edit them in the browser.
Microsoft's own Excel gallery is free too, and its names tell you what each one does: Basic personal budget, Household monthly budget, Family budget, Business expense budget, Monthly company budget, Event budget, Website budget and Channel marketing budget. Microsoft says each one comes with the formulas already in place. You open it in Excel in your browser, replace the sample values with yours, then save, print or share it as a PDF.
A small business budget, built in the right order
Vertex42 says a business budget helps you decide whether you can grow, give yourself a raise or buy more stock. You can bend a personal budget to fit a business, but Vertex42 recommends its business budget if you use its income statement template, so the two line up.
Its Business Budget has two worksheets. Services is the simple one, with categories that closely match an income statement. Goods adds a Cost of Goods Sold section for stock and purchases and works out your gross profit. There's a 12-month version for costs that land at certain times of year, and a version for businesses selling several products. If you're not trading yet, start with the Business Start Up Costs sheet. It splits one-time costs, like equipment, licences and stock, from ongoing monthly ones, like rent, utilities and payroll. Its AI Assistant worksheet gives you a prompt to paste into ChatGPT to brainstorm costs you might miss, and Vertex42 itself warns that AI makes things up, so check every line.
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Once you're trading, add a cash flow forecast template so you can see when cash comes in and goes out, not just whether the year adds up. If you'd rather build your own sheet from scratch, my guide to building a monthly budget in Excel walks you through it, and if spreadsheets aren't for you at all, see budgeting apps compared.
Where I'd start
I'd start with the Vertex42 Household Budget Worksheet if you've never budgeted and want to see where everything goes. I'd go zero-based if you're paid irregularly and keep wondering where the month went. I'd pick Template.net if you live in Pages, Numbers or Google Docs and don't want to touch Excel. And if you're starting a business, skip the household sheets entirely and fill in the startup costs sheet before you spend a penny. One honest note: Vertex42 says its sheets are for illustration and education, so take any big financial decision to a qualified adviser.
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Frequently asked questions
Where can I get a free budget template?
Vertex42 has 20+ free budget templates for Excel, Google Sheets and OpenOffice. Template.net has monthly budgets in Word, Google Docs, PDF, Pages and Numbers, and Microsoft's Excel gallery has free personal and business budgets.
Is there a free budget template for Google Sheets?
Yes. Vertex42 says its featured budget templates work in Google Sheets as well as Excel and OpenOffice, and Template.net offers Google Sheets downloads too.
What's a zero-based budget?
It's a plan where you give every part of your income a purpose, saving or spending, until the final budget equals zero. Vertex42 has a free zero-based budget worksheet.
Can I use a personal budget template for my business?
You can adapt one, but Vertex42 recommends its business budget if you want your budget to line up with an income statement, and its startup costs sheet before you launch.
Can I share a Vertex42 budget in Google Drive?
Only privately, with the people who need it, such as a partner. Its licence says link sharing must be off, so anyone with the link isn't allowed.
