When I decided to create a budget the first thing I asked myself was, "what can I buy to make this easier?" If it takes money to make money, it probably takes money to save money as well. Luckily I was wrong (don’t worry, I’m used to it). Instead of buying some crazy software, I put Google’s free Documents & Spreadsheets software to the task.

For those who aren’t in the know, Google Docs and Spreadsheets is the awkwardly long name for Google’s version of Microsoft Office. (Google doesn’t claim to have all the features of Microsoft Office, but it’s free so don’t even start!) I decided to create a Google spreadsheet to keep track of my monthly budget and daily spending. I then immediately took the money I saved and bought something stupid. My Google spreadsheet has been working out perfectly so far. I can access it from work, home, or a friend’s house without downloading the file first, or carrying around a USB flash drive.

I always get excited when I find a practical use for new software or technology, so I thought I’d share with the rest of the internet. If you’d like a copy of the file I use, simply check out the link in the comment board. You technically could open it with Microsoft Excel, but why would you want to?

Labels: Google Budget, Life Stuff