It is a CSV file, the simplest spreadsheet format. It opens in Excel, Apple Numbers and Google Sheets. To keep formulas and formatting, save it as .xlsx after you open it.

How do I import it into Balance?

In Balance, open Activity and choose Import statement. Pick the file, check the preview and confirm. The columns are usually picked up automatically (check them on the Columns step), and importing the same file twice does not create duplicates.

Is the template really free?

Yes. No signup and no email needed. Download it and use it however you like.

Free template

A budget spreadsheet that grows up.

A clean income and expenses sheet for Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. Free, no signup. And when the sheet gets tedious, import it into Balance as is.

Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or saved.

Download the template (CSV)

CSV · opens in Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets · 8 example rows to replace

When the spreadsheet gets tedious

Spreadsheets are great until you have to type every coffee. The columns in this template match Balance’s CSV import, so your history comes with you in one step. After that, once the Apple Pay Shortcut is set up, Apple Pay purchases log themselves and rules sort the categories. Balance is free and never asks for your bank password.

What each column is for

Date: One row per purchase or income. Any common format works, e.g. 2026-10-01 or 01/10/2026.
Description: Where the money went or came from: “Supermarket”, “Rent”, “Salary”.
Amount: Spending as a negative number (-84.30), income as positive (3200).
Category: For your own totals in the sheet. Balance sorts categories itself with rules and merchant recognition.
Notes: Anything you want to remember. Optional.

How this is worked out

Dates in the English template are written as YYYY-MM-DD so no app mixes up day and month.
Spending is negative and income is positive, which is how Balance’s importer reads a single amount column.
The file is UTF-8, so non-English text displays correctly.

Want this number every day, without the math?

Import this sheet, add the Apple Pay shortcut, and the rest fills itself in. Or try the 50/30/20 calculator first.

Start free

Free. No card, no bank login.