PURPOSE A budget spreadsheet tracks expected and actual income, expenses, or project costs. COMMON COLUMNS Use category, description, planned amount, actual amount, variance, date, owner, and notes. FORMULAS Use totals, subtotals, and variance calculations to compare planned and actual values. BEST PRACTICES Keep categories consistent, separate assumptions from results, and review formulas before relying on the totals. CHECK Compare spreadsheet totals against source records before sharing.