📘 Premium Budget Planner — Complete User Guide

This guide walks you through every part of the Excel budget planner, step by step.

You can follow it top to bottom, or jump to the section you need.

1. Getting Started

What this file is

This is a guided personal finance system built in Excel.

You set it up once, then use it daily or weekly with minimal effort.

What you need

• Microsoft Excel (desktop recommended)
• No macros
• No add-ons
• No subscriptions

Tip: The file is designed to work even if you only use Transactions and Dashboards.

2. Navigation (How to Move Around)

On every sheet, you’ll see a navigation panel on the right (columns T–V).

Use it to jump between:

• Start Here
• Transactions
• Budget Planner
• Dashboards
• Savings
• Debt
• Net Worth
• CSV Import

You never need to scroll through tabs at the bottom.

3. Start Here (Initial Setup)

This is the only required setup step.

Step 1: Basic settings

Fill in:

• Currency
• Starting month
• Starting year

These settings control formatting and dashboards across the file.

Step 2: Categories

• Review the default income and expense categories
• Rename, add, or remove categories as needed
• These categories power dropdowns everywhere else

Tip: Keep categories simple. You can always refine later.

Step 3: Accounts

Add your accounts:

• Checking
• Savings
• Credit cards
• Cash
• Any other accounts you track

These will appear in transaction dropdowns.

Step 4: Follow the Welcome Routine

Use the Day 1 / Week 1 / Month 1 checklist to build the habit:

• Day 1: Setup
• Week 1: Log consistently
• Month 1: Review and adjust

When this page is complete, move on to Transactions.

4. Transactions (Daily or Weekly Use)

This is the core of the system.

How it works

• One row equals one transaction
• Enter data only in highlighted input cells
• Everything else updates automatically

Columns you fill in

• Date
• Description
• Category
• Account
• Amount
• Income or Expense (if applicable)

Best practices

• Log transactions daily or every few days
• Keep descriptions short but clear
• Don’t worry about perfection — consistency matters more

Tip: If you miss a few days, just log everything at once. The system still works.

5. Budget Planner (Monthly Planning)

Use this once per month.

What to do

• Set a planned amount for each category
• Review totals at the bottom
• Adjust based on your real spending patterns

How it connects

• Budget numbers are compared against actual spending
• Dashboards automatically show remaining versus spent

Tip: Budgets are estimates, not rules. Adjust them freely.

6. Dashboards (Quick Check-Ins)

Dashboards are for understanding, not micromanaging.

What you’ll see

• Monthly overview
• Spending versus budget
• Remaining balance
• Trends over time

How to use them

• Review once per week or month
• Look for patterns, not single transactions
• Use insights to adjust next month’s budget

Tip: If something looks off, check Transactions first.

7. Savings Tracker (Optional)

Use this if you want structured savings goals.

How it works

• Define savings goals
• Log contributions
• Track progress visually

You can skip this entirely if you prefer simple tracking.

8. Debt Tracker (Optional)

Designed for clarity, not pressure.

What to enter

• Debt name
• Starting balance
• Interest rate (optional)
• Monthly payment

What it shows

• Remaining balance
• Progress over time
• Estimated payoff direction

Tip: Focus on consistency, not aggressive optimization.

9. Net Worth (Optional, Monthly)

This gives you a big-picture view.

How to use

• Update once per month
• Enter balances for assets and liabilities
• Watch long-term progress

This becomes very motivating over time.

10. CSV Import (Optional Power Feature)

Use this if you want to import transactions from your bank.

Step-by-step

1. Export transactions from your bank as a CSV
2. Paste raw data into the CSV Import sheet
3. Map the Date, Description, and Amount columns
4. Review the cleaned output
5. Copy and paste values into Transactions

Tip: You only need to map columns once per bank.

11. Common Tips and Best Practices

• You don’t need to use every tab
• Start simple, add complexity later
• Logging consistently beats perfect categorization
• Review monthly, not daily
• This is a system, not a test

12. Troubleshooting

Numbers look wrong

Check Transactions first and confirm categories and amounts.

Dashboards not updating

Make sure data is entered in input cells and formulas weren’t deleted.

File feels overwhelming

Use only Transactions and Dashboards until you’re comfortable.

13. Final Advice

This planner is designed to reduce decision fatigue, encourage consistency, and grow with you over time.

Set it up once.

Use it calmly.

Let it work in the background.

You don’t need to be perfect — you just need to keep going.