{"product_id":"simple-budget-spreadsheet-beginners","title":"Simple Budget Dashboard for Beginners","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis simple budget spreadsheet keeps only what a first budget needs, so it is one you will keep using. It is a budget for beginners: anyone budgeting for the first time who wants to see money in, money out, what was saved and what is left, without debt calculators and challenges crowding the screen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease read:\u003c\/strong\u003e 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).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe dashboard\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eNothing on the dashboard is typed. It fills itself from your entries, and one drop-down switches it between any month and the full year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMoney in for the period, with the change and a twelve-month mini chart\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMoney in against money out by month, with what is left over adding up\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStayed on budget: a tick or a cross for every month, and by how much\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlanned against spent, and how much of the plan was used\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhere it went: spending by group, plus the five biggest categories\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYour six biggest bills, taken from the Recurring tab\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhere my money is: account balances, with card debt in red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eBuilt simple on purpose\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis uses the same budget engine as the larger OPXVIA budget, with four tabs deliberately removed: no 50\/30\/20 split, no debt payoff calculator, no net worth statement and no no-spend challenge. If you outgrow it, the same engine runs the full version and nothing has to be entered again.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat is inside\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTransactions:\u003c\/strong\u003e one list of 2,000 rows with a category, an account and a need, want or save flag. Everything else reads from it, which makes it a straightforward expense tracker.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJanuary to December:\u003c\/strong\u003e a monthly budget tab for each month, totaled against your plan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRecurring and Bill Calendar:\u003c\/strong\u003e 80 recurring bills entered once, laid out across the month\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncome:\u003c\/strong\u003e 60 income lines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccounts:\u003c\/strong\u003e 20 accounts with balances and a net position\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAnnual Summary:\u003c\/strong\u003e all twelve months together\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSetup and Start Here:\u003c\/strong\u003e your categories, set once, and a guided start\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eLight and dark editions\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery download includes a light edition and a dark edition, with every tab restyled and the same formulas in both. Each comes filled with a worked year, 660 transactions, eight accounts and twenty recurring bills, and as a blank copy, in Excel and in Google Sheets. If you were after a budget Google Sheets file rather than Excel, it is included.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWorks with\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMicrosoft Excel 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365, on Windows and Mac, and LibreOffice\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGoogle Sheets with a free Google account. The Google Sheets version is a real workbook you copy, not a PDF with a link in it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo dynamic arrays, no macros, no add-ins and no subscription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat you download\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLight edition: the Excel workbook filled with a worked example, and a blank one\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark edition: the same two files in the dark design\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe instruction guide, with one-click links to the Google Sheets versions (light and dark, filled and blank)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe terms of use as a PDF\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eYour files are ready the moment payment clears. The budget is for personal and business use on your own devices, so please do not share or resell the files. Questions? Reach us through our contact page.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eDo I need Excel, or can I use Google Sheets?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEither. The download has Excel workbooks 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eIs this good for a first budget?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes. It is built for beginners, with one transaction list, a tab for each month and a dashboard that fills itself. Extras like debt payoff and net worth are left out on purpose.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat if I want more features later?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe same engine runs the full OPXVIA budget, so you can move up later without entering anything again.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eDo I have to enter my bills every month?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo. Recurring bills go on their own tab once, and the bill calendar lays them out across the month.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat is the difference between the light and dark editions?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnly the look. Both use the same tabs and formulas, and both are included in every download.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"OPXVIA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67597867090014,"sku":"OPX-133","price":25.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0769\/2094\/6782\/files\/simple-budget-spreadsheet-beginners-01.jpg?v=1790832685","url":"https:\/\/opxviashop.com\/products\/simple-budget-spreadsheet-beginners","provider":"OPXVIA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}