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Budget Spreadsheet helps you manage your budget using the spreadsheet approach (no other spreadsheet software is required). Each row represents a budget item that can be an income row or an expense row. Each column represents a month, starting with the current month, and looking ahead 12 months into the future. Net-In (income less expenses) and cumulative balance amounts are calculated at the bottom of each month, so it is easy to see where you will stand looking ahead, and at what point you may need to adjust your income (e.g., a raise or 2nd job) or reduce an expense (e.g., less dining out) in order to stay out of the red.

Features:

• Create a budget from a Template or Customize your own
• Add (insert) and Delete rows where needed
• Enter (or change) Budget Item Names where needed
• An amount entered in the Base column spreads across all columns
• Easy to print your budget with one click
• Use the built in "Net Pay After Tax Calculator" for each job
• Adjustable "Fonts" feature makes the spreadsheet easy to read
• Manage multiple budgets using the "Folders" feature
• Includes a complete Help system making this program easy to learn and use

You can also import budget items that you may have set up using FAMware's Family Finances ( FwFF ) or Family Budget ( FwFB ) software.

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Excerpts from FwBS Help System:

A budget is a month by month spending plan.  It includes what you expect to receive and what you plan to pay out over the next several months. In other words, a budget is "forward looking". Expense rows contain monthly values for "what's left to pay". Income rows should only contain amounts for cash or pay checks that "are still coming in". Once received or paid, change that monthly amount to zero. Do not record "actual" amounts in your budget. (That is what check registers are for.) Update your budget daily, whenever you spend or receive money, something that is easy to do using this program. Additional tips follow:

How to "spread" item values:  Numeric values typed in the "Base" column are automatically spread across the entire row. Each cell of the same value will be updated. If an expenditure only occurs once or a few times per year, leave the Base amount zero, and just type the expense amounts in the applicable months. (Hint: the Sign column indicates whether the row is income or expense. Double-click the + or - sign, to change it.)

How to change item names:  Click an item name and change it. Rows named 'To Be Defined' are intended to be renamed. Use Up and Down Arrow keys to navigate the column. Use Ctrl+A to add a row. Use Ctrl+D to delete (with cursor at the insertion or deletion point).

How to change the value for a single month:  To change values at specific rows and columns click in the cell then type a new value. If you accidently type a non numeric value you will see "???". To restore numeric, highlight the entire textbox and press Delete. You can press the Tab key to move one column or the DownArrow (or Enter) key to move one row.

How to change the month:  Month abbreviations (at the top) change automatically based on the current date. The first column will always show the current month. (Also see Shift-Left instructions below.)

How to reset and start again:  This is not recommended but you could backup then delete the files and folders under C:\FAMware\FwBS. This will put things back like they were when you first ran the program. (Before attempting this on your own, you may wish to contact FAMware for assistance.)

How to designate expenses and income:  Rows with + in the sign column are considered income rows, or "inflows". Rows with - in the sign column are expense rows, or "outflows". To enter a refund or positive amount for a month in an expense row, or to indicate a negative month in an income row, just enter a negative number.

Shifting cells at the begnning of the month:  Watch for the Shift-Left button to appear at the beginning of a new month and click it for instructions. The month headings will automatically shift left at the beginning of a new month but not the cell values. Shifting cell values is a manual process using this button. This will need to be done monthly for each of your budgets. (You can also use Ctrl+S.)

Displaying row total and average per month:  Double-click the row number (on the far left) of a budget item, to calculate row total (and annual total) and to see the average monthly amount.

Displaying column totals for income and expenses:  Click any cell in the column of the month to calculate, then click Ctrl+T. This will calculate and display the income and outgo totals for the selected month.

Calculating Net (i.e., Take-Home) Pay:  Use the PayCalc button to show the net pay (after taxes) worksheet window. Select Type of Pay (Hourly or Salary) then enter the Hourly Rate or Salary amount. Update tax witholding percentages with % estimates, or to match your pay stub. If you have more than one job row on your budget spreadsheet create a separate Net Pay Calc folder for each.

Using Multiple Budgets:  Click the Budgets button to find out how to create a new budget from a Template, or to switch between multiple budgets.
Customize your own Budget Template:  Check the categories and items you want in your budget:

FwBS Budget Folders Concept and FwBS Data Flows.  You can have multiple budgets, viz. JOHN1 and JOHN2, using separate folders:

FwBS Example:

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