Kung minsan, hindi naman talaga kulang ang sweldo, basta lang hindi mo alam saan napupunta. That’s the honest truth for a lot of us. Between grocery runs, fare, load, ilang beses na pagkain sa labas, and random Shopee checkouts, it’s easy to lose track until wala nang matira before the next payday.
That’s exactly why I built this free Expense Tracker, a downloadable spreadsheet that works in both Excel and Google Sheets, so you can log every peso you spend and actually see where it’s all going, complete with automatic monthly totals and visual charts.
What’s Inside the Tracker
The file has three working tabs plus a quick instructions page:
Instructions walks you through how everything works, including a color legend (yellow cells are for your own inputs, black text means it’s an automatic formula you shouldn’t overwrite).
Daily Log is where you record every transaction: the date, a category from a built-in dropdown, a short description, and the amount. There are 12 ready-made categories covering the usual Filipino household budget line items: Food & Groceries, Transportation, Utilities, Rent/Housing, Health & Medical, Education, Debt Payments, Savings & Investments, Personal Care, Entertainment, Family Support, and Miscellaneous. You can rename any of these on the hidden category list if you want to customize them.
Monthly Summary is where the magic happens. It automatically totals your spending per category, per month, no manual tallying needed. Fill in your Monthly Income for each month, and the sheet computes your Total Expenses, Net Savings, and Savings Rate for you.
How to Log Your Expenses
Every time you spend money, add one row to the Daily Log:
- Enter the date of the transaction.
- Pick a category from the dropdown (no need to type it out, just click and select).
- Add a short description so you remember what it was for.
- Enter the amount in pesos.
That’s it. The tracker comes with a few sample entries already filled in (highlighted in green) just so you can see the format before you start logging your own. Delete those once you’re ready to begin.
Reading Your Monthly Summary and Charts
Once you’ve logged a few entries and filled in your income, the Monthly Summary tab shows everything at a glance: a bar chart comparing your monthly income against total expenses, so you can immediately see which months you overspent, and a pie chart breaking down your yearly spending by category, so you know exactly which part of your budget is eating up the most money (for a lot of households, it’s usually Food & Groceries or Rent).
Your Savings Rate column also updates automatically. If it’s showing 0% or a negative number for several months in a row, that’s your cue to revisit your budget.
If you’re also setting aside money for Pag-IBIG MP2, you can pair this tracker with the Pag-IBIG MP2 Calculator to project how much your Savings & Investments entries could grow over time. And if you’re figuring out your budget starting from your payslip, check out the Net Salary Calculator first to know exactly how much take-home pay you’re working with.
What Happens When a New Year Starts
The Monthly Summary tab has a Tracker Year cell near the top (defaults to the current year). All the formulas filter your Daily Log based on that year, so technically, you could just change that cell come January and the summary will recalculate for the new year.
That said, since the Daily Log doesn’t erase itself automatically, I’d recommend simply saving a fresh copy of the file at the start of each year (rename it something like “Expense Tracker 2027”) and clearing out the Daily Log rows. Keeps things clean and prevents years of transactions from piling up in one sheet.
Using It in Excel or Google Sheets
This file works in both. If you’re on Google Sheets, upload it via File > Import > Upload, then choose “Replace spreadsheet” or “Insert new sheet(s).” One thing to note: unlike Excel, Google Sheets doesn’t carry over cell locking or protection, so just be careful not to accidentally overwrite the formula cells (the ones in black text).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this expense tracker really free?
Yes. You can download it, use it, and modify it however you like for your own personal budgeting.
Do I need to know Excel formulas to use this?
No. All the formulas are already built in. You only need to type into the Daily Log and fill in your monthly income, everything else calculates on its own.
Can I add my own expense categories?
Yes, though you’ll need to edit the hidden “Lists” tab that powers the dropdown, and make sure the category name matches exactly wherever it’s used in the Monthly Summary formulas.
Does this sync automatically like a budgeting app?
No, this is a spreadsheet, not an app. You’ll need to manually enter your transactions, but that manual habit is actually part of what makes budgeting stick for a lot of people.
Is my data stored online or shared with anyone?
No. Once you download or copy the file, it lives entirely on your own device or your own Google Drive. Walang ibang makakakita nun kundi ikaw.
Blogger’s Corner
Honestly, gulo pa rin akong mag-budget minsan (oo, kahit ako, hehe), which is partly why I built this. May mga buwan na parang okay naman ang kita, pero pagdating ng dulo, ewan bakit parang laging kapos. Sana makatulong ito sa inyo the way it’s slowly helping me get a clearer picture of where my own money’s going. Kung magamit niyo ito, i-share niyo sa mga kaibigan or pamilya niyo na kailangan din ng konting push para simulan ang budgeting.
Disclaimer: This expense tracker is a personal budgeting tool provided for general reference only. It is not financial advice. Always verify your totals against your actual bank statements, e-wallet balances, and receipts before making financial decisions.