Checkbook Register Spreadsheet

About this template

This checkbook register keeps a running balance that stays right even when you add an entry in the middle. It is for anyone who still writes checks or likes a digital checkbook alongside the bank, and wants to see exactly why the statement and the register do not match.

Please read: This is a tracker tool only, not financial, tax, legal, medical or any other professional advice or advisory service. It records and calculates what you enter; you are solely responsible for checking all figures, rates, dates and results and for every decision you make. By purchasing, downloading or using it, you accept these terms (your statutory consumer rights are not affected).

A balance that carries

Every row takes its balance from the row above. When a check clears weeks late and you insert it in the middle of the month, every balance beneath it recalculates. A fixed balance column is the most common fault in a check register, and it is the one thing this file is built to get right.

• 400 rows with date, check number and description
• Paid in and paid out in separate columns
• One opening balance cell above the register
• Any row where the account goes overdrawn turns red, right where it happens

Cleared, and not cleared

Each row has a cleared yes/no. The sheet totals everything that has not cleared yet, which is exactly the gap between what the bank shows and what you have actually spent. That total explains why a statement and a register disagree, without a search through the whole month.

Bills, tasks and a dashboard

A small set of tabs sits behind the transaction register, so the money and the admin around it stay together.

• Bills: a bill tracker with due dates
• Tasks: for the paperwork around your account
• Dashboard: reads the register and bills together, a simple spending tracker at a glance
• Start Here and Setup: setup in a few minutes

Works with

• Microsoft Excel 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365, on Windows and Mac, and LibreOffice
• Google Sheets with a free Google account. The Google Sheets version is a real workbook you copy, not a PDF with a link in it.
• No dynamic arrays, no macros, no add-ins and no subscription

What you download

• Two Excel files: a worked example with two months of a real account, including an entry that has not cleared, and a blank copy
• The instruction guide, which has one-click links to the Google Sheets versions
• The terms of use as a PDF

Your files are ready the moment payment clears. The register is for personal use on your own devices, so please do not share or resell the files. Questions? Reach us through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Excel, or can I use Google Sheets?

Either. The download has Excel files for Excel 2016 or later on Windows and Mac, and the instruction guide has one-click links to copy the Google Sheets versions with a free Google account.

What happens if I insert a transaction in the middle?

Each row takes its balance from the row above, so every balance below the new entry recalculates.

How does it help me reconcile with my bank statement?

Each row has a cleared yes/no, and the sheet totals everything not yet cleared. That total is the gap between the bank balance and your register.

How many transactions does it hold?

The Register tab has 400 rows, each with a date, check number, description, paid in and paid out.

Will it warn me if I go overdrawn?

Yes. The row where the balance goes below zero turns red.