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Intro
The Vertex42® Money Manager can be a very simple money management tool. Like most
spreadsheet applications, you should know that spreadsheets are error-prone. It is easy to
make mistakes, accidentally delete things that should not be deleted, forget to copy formulas,
etc. If you are comfortable using Excel, know how to identify and fix formulas when needed,
understand how to use basic row operations (delete, copy, inserted copied rows, etc.), are
okay with the level of risk you take on by using a spreadsheet, and follow the instructions
and guidelines, you should find this spreadsheet very useful.
General Tips
- Except for customizing the categories, you normally only edit cells with a gray border:
- Some of the labels include cell comments (marked with little red triangles) to provide
extra help information.
- You can add your own cell comments! This is especially useful in the Budget worksheet,
where you can create notes to explain irregular or variable expenses.
- If you see "#####" in a cell, widen the COLUMN to display the cell contents.
- This workbook uses a lot of conditional formatting. Look up "conditional formatting" in the
Excel help system (F1) if you want to know how it works.
- You can add a limited amount of security by password protecting your workbook, but that
can be easily bypassed by anyone with malicious intent. The security of your data is your
responsibility.
- Backup your file regularly to avoid losing data! Excel files DO get corrupted occasionally.
- For a Financial Year that does not start in January: Before entering your yearly budget,
go to the Report worksheet and enter the "Year Begins" date. This will update the month
labels in the Budget worksheet.
- You can copy and paste the input cells within the Budget worksheet as needed. For example,
enter an average fuel cost in January, then copy the value to other months.
- Use formulas to do basic calculations like "=245/6" to divide 245 by 6 or "=34*2" to multipy
34 by 2, or "=34+12+45" to add a bunch of numbers. Formulas are entered using the
equals "=" sign.
IMPORTANT: You must copy and paste entire rows when adding new rows, to ensure that all
the formatting, data validation, and formulas get copied correctly.
THE MOST COMMON ERROR is inserting a new row and forgetting to copy formulas,
especially the hidden formulas in columns J-L.
When you insert a blank row, some formatting is copied from the row above it automatically,
but formulas and data validation are not copied. Remember: COPY - PASTE - EDIT
Num: This column is usually used to list the check number, but you can also use it to enter
"DEP" for deposit, "TXFR" for transfer, "EFT" for electronic funds transfer, "ACH" for
Automated Clearing House transactions, etc.
Category: The Category field is essential to the functionality of this workbook. The Category
is a dropdown list that gets its info from the Categories worksheet.
The Category column uses conditional formatting to highlight the category PINK if the
category is not found in the Categories worksheet, BROWN if the category is not found in
the Yearly or Monthly worksheet, and GRAY if the category is blank, [Transfer], or [Balance]
If the formatting isn't copied correctly, you'll lose this double-check feature. So again, this
spreadsheet is not error-proof.
IMPORTANT: If you have chosen a category such as "Ted's Fund" and then later remove
"Ted's Fund" from the list in the Categories worksheet, it will not be changed in the Transactions
table automatically. You will need to make sure that you find all the records that have used
"Ted's Fund" as the Category and change them to something else.
TIP: Always leave the last row in the table BLANK so that you can easily add new rows. To
add new rows, select the last row of the table (row 57 in the image below) and drag the fill
handle down to copy the row down to create as many new rows as you need.
Fill Handle
Tip: If you want to verify the total amount of the split transaction, you can do a quick
calculation off to the side of the table using an Excel formula, like "=SUM(H13:H15)"
NOTE: The above example assumes that the "payment" to your Credit Card is to pay off the
charges that you have already recorded earlier in the Transaction History table for the
CreditCard account. If you are NOT recording individual CreditCard transactions using the
Transactions worksheet, or part of the $150.00 was to pay down an outstanding debt, then a
credit card payment would look like one of the following, where "Credit Card #1" is a category
under Obligations.
Example 1: Not using Credit Card #1 any more, but still owe money on it.
ACCOUNT DATE NUM PAYEE CATEGORY PAYMENT
Checking 1/1/10 Credit Card Credit Card #1 150.00
Example 2: A portion of a credit card payment used to pay down $25.00 of outstanding debt.
ACCOUNT DATE NUM PAYEE MEMO CATEGORY PAYMENT DEPOSIT
CreditCard 1/1/10 TXFR [From Checking] [Transfer] 150.00
Checking 1/1/10 TXFR [To CreditCard] Split [Transfer] 125.00
Checking 1/1/10 TXFR [To CreditCard] Split Credit Card #1 25.00
Original Transaction:
ACCOUNT DATE NUM PAYEE CATEGORY PAYMENT DEPOSIT
CreditCard 1/1/10 The Big Store Appliances 50.00
One approach is to first transfer the amount saved from Savings to Checking, recording the
transfer as a credit to the expense category. Then, record the actual payment like normal.
1. Record the Transfer from Savings to Checking as a Credit to the Expense Category
ACCOUNT DATE NUM PAYEE CATEGORY PAYMENT DEPOSIT
Savings 6/1/14 TXFR [To Checking] [Transfer] 200.00
Checking 6/1/14 TXFR [From Savings] Insurance 200.00
In the above example, the actual payment of 198.00 was lower than what was previously
total expense of 200.00, so you could end up seeing a value of -2.00 in the Actual column
of the report worksheet. This is similar to what you might see if you received a refund or
return for something you paid in a previous month.
The Cleared Balance in the transaction history table shows the Account balance for the
transactions marked "R" for reconciled or "c" for cleared. This allows you to compare the
Cleared Balance with the current balance shown on your bank statements.
The Account Balance reflects your actual or effective balance and is the one you should be
looking at to stay on budget. The Cleared Balance is for comparing to your bank and credit
card statements. For example, when you write a check to a friend, it won't show up in your
bank account until they cash it. You should record the transaction immediately, to help you
stay on budget, but until the check shows up on your bank statement, your Cleared Balance
will be different from the Account Balance (until you enter a "c" or "R" in the reconcile column).
TIP: If you are familiar with using Excel lists or tables, you can use autofiltering to filter the
transaction history table to show a single account at a time.
Use the Report worksheet to compare your budget to your actual spending throughout
the month. Change the month by entering the month number (1 for Jan., 2 for Feb., etc.).
The Report pulls the budget info from the Budget worksheet and the actual spending from
the Transactions worksheet, so you can view the report at any time during the month and
see how much you have left (or how much you have overspent) in each category.
IMPORTANT: If the Report worksheet does not appear to be pulling information from the
Transactions worksheet, please see Step 4-5 above (Check Formulas).
© 2010 Vertex42 LLC
HELP >> Excel Tips
copy formulas,
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Input Cell
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** ACCOUNTS **
Checking
Savings
BobsCard
JanesCard
[End of List]
For example,
utomatically,
[Transfer] : Normal background color to identify Transfers
[Balance] : Normal background color to identify Beginning Balance
Blah Blah : Category not found in the Categories worksheet
Blah Blah : Category not found in the Budget or Report worksheets
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Yearly Budget Planner
HELP © 2010 Vertex42 LLC
INCOME
Wages & Tips 0 0
Interest Income 0 0
Dividends 0 0
Gifts Received 0 0
Refunds/Reimbursements 0 0
Financial Aid 0 0
Rental Income 0 0
INCOME-Other 0 0
Total INCOME 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TO SAVINGS
Emergency Fund 0 0
Retirement Fund 0 0
College Fund 0 0
Investments 0 0
Taxes 0 0
Vacation Fund 0 0
SAVINGS -Other 0 0
Total TO SAVINGS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CHARITY/GIFTS
Tithing 0 0
Charitable Donations 0 0
Religious Donations 0 0
Gifts 0 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Average
Christmas 0 0
CHARITY - Other 0 0
Total CHARITY/GIFTS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HOUSING
Mortgage/Rent 0 0
Home/Rental Insurance 0 0
Real Estate Taxes 0 0
Furnishings/Appliances 0 0
Lawn/Garden 0 0
Maintenance/Supplies 0 0
Improvements 0 0
HOUSING - Other 0 0
Total HOUSING 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
UTILITIES
Electricity 0 0
Gas/Oil 0 0
Water/Sewer/Trash 0 0
Phone 0 0
Cable/Satellite 0 0
Internet 0 0
UTILITIES - Other 0 0
Total UTILITIES 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
FOOD
Groceries 0 0
Dining/Eating Out 0 0
Pet Food 0 0
FOOD - Other 0 0
Total FOOD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
TRANSPORTATION
Vehicle Payments 0 0
Auto Insurance 0 0
Fuel 0 0
Bus/Taxi/Train Fare 0 0
Repairs/Tires 0 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Average
Registration/License 0 0
TRANSPORTATION - Other 0 0
Total TRANSPORTATION 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HEALTH
Health Insurance 0 0
Disability Insurance 0 0
Doctor/Dentist/Optometrist 0 0
Medicine/Drugs 0 0
Health Club Dues 0 0
Life Insurance 0 0
Veterinarian/Pet Care 0 0
HEALTH - Other 0 0
Total HEALTH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DAILY LIVING
Education 0 0
Clothing 0 0
Personal Supplies 0 0
Cleaning Services 0 0
Laundry / Dry Cleaning 0 0
Salon/Barber 0 0
DAILY LIVING - Other 0 0
Total DAILY LIVING 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CHILDREN
Children:Clothing 0 0
Medical 0 0
Music Lessons 0 0
School Tuition 0 0
School Lunch 0 0
School Supplies 0 0
Babysitting/Child Care 0 0
Toys/Games 0 0
CHILDREN - Other 0 0
Total CHILDREN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
OBLIGATIONS
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Average
Student Loan 0 0
Other Loan 0 0
Credit Card #1 0 0
Credit Card #2 0 0
Credit Card #3 0 0
Alimony/Child Support 0 0
Federal Taxes 0 0
State/Local Taxes 0 0
Legal Fees 0 0
OBLIGATIONS - Other 0 0
Total OBLIGATIONS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
BUSINESS EXPENSE
Deductible Expenses 0 0
Non-Deductible Expenses 0 0
BUSINESS - Other 0 0
Total BUSINESS EXPENSE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ENTERTAINMENT
Vacation/Travel 0 0
Videos/DVDs 0 0
Music 0 0
Games 0 0
Rentals 0 0
Movies/Theater 0 0
Concerts/Plays 0 0
Books 0 0
Hobbies 0 0
Film/Photos 0 0
Sports 0 0
Outdoor Recreation 0 0
Toys/Gadgets 0 0
ENTERTAINMENT - Other 0 0
Total ENTERTAINMENT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Newspaper 0 0
Magazines 0 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Average
Dues/Memberships 0 0
SUBSCRIPTIONS - Other 0 0
Total SUBSCRIPTIONS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
MISCELLANEOUS
Bank Fees 0 0
Postage 0 0
MISC - Other 0 0
Total MISCELLANEOUS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% of Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Transaction History
HELP © 2010 Vertex42 LLC
Account Date Num Payee Memo Tag Category R PAYMENT DEPOSIT Account Cleared BALANCE
Balance Balance
Checking 1/01/13 [Balance As of 01/01/2013] [Balance] R 875.00 875.00 875.00 875.00
Savings 1/01/13 [Balance As of 01/01/2013] [Balance] R 2,345.00 2,345.00 2,345.00 3,220.00
BobsCard 1/01/13 [Balance As of 01/01/2013] [Balance] R 256.00 (256.00) (256.00) 2,964.00
Checking 1/01/13 DEP Direct Deposit from Employer Wages & Tips R 1,000.00 1,875.00 1,875.00 3,964.00
Checking 1/10/13 2032 Car Payment Vehicle Payments R 115.20 1,759.80 1,759.80 3,848.80
BobsCard 1/15/13 Joe's Food Mart Groceries R 87.34 (343.34) (343.34) 3,761.46
BobsCard 1/18/13 Fuel Gas/Oil R 100.00 (443.34) (443.34) 3,661.46
Checking 2/05/13 DEP Direct Deposit from Employer Wages & Tips c 1,000.00 2,759.80 2,759.80 4,661.46
Checking 2/10/13 2033 Target Split Clothing 23.10 2,736.70 2,759.80 4,638.36
Checking 2/10/13 2033 Target Split Groceries 45.15 2,691.55 2,759.80 4,593.21
Checking 2/10/13 2033 Target Split Personal Supplies 25.04 2,666.51 2,759.80 4,568.17
Savings 2/15/13 TXFR [From Checking] [Transfer] 200.00 2,545.00 2,345.00 4,768.17
Checking 2/15/13 TXFR [To Savings] Split Emergency Fund 100.00 2,566.51 2,759.80 4,668.17
Checking 2/15/13 TXFR [To Savings] Split Retirement Fund 50.00 2,516.51 2,759.80 4,618.17
Checking 2/15/13 TXFR [To Savings] Split College Fund 50.00 2,466.51 2,759.80 4,568.17
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Account Date Num Payee Memo Tag Category R PAYMENT DEPOSIT Account Cleared BALANCE
Balance Balance
- - 4,568.17
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Monthly Budget Report
HELP © 2010 Vertex42 LLC
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