libelle / the-daily-nut

Simple budgeting spreadsheet to help families understand their annual cash flow

the-daily-nut

Simple budgeting spreadsheet to help families understand their annual cash flow

It's really dead simple, but I've found it's useful for getting people to picture where their money is going.

Using It

Fire up this spreadsheet in your favorite Open Office-compatible spreadsheet program.

In the top section, key in expenses. Each line allows a description, and an amount. Initially, the amount is interpreted as a yearly amount, however you can use the drop down in the frequency column to specify the recurrence frequency of the expense (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly). The columns to the right will automatically calculate what the expense works out to on an annual, monthly, weekly and daily basis.

The last line of the top section summarizes all of your expenses, and tells you how much you spend on a yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily basis. That's your so-called "nut."

In the bottom section, key in incomes. The format for lines is exactly the same. It works just like expenses, only tracks your income. It shows what you bring in on an annual, monthly, weekly, and daily basis.

The last line is, shockingly, the bottom line. It'll show you whether you're able to save, have discretionary spending, or sinking into debt.

Disclaimer

The math involved here is not what you'd call complicated. Still, it's possible that I made cut'n'paste errors or other boneheaded mistakes while creating this spreadsheet. Use at your own risk. I'd advise that you check the math before you go on a spree -- either way, I accept no responsibility for your use or misuse of this calculator.