Excel workbook
Budget vs Actual Workbook: Monthly Variances, Flags and a Full-Year Forecast in Excel
Set a budget for each income and expense line, enter your actuals as the months close, and see what is over, what is under and where the year is heading.
$24 one time · 14-day full refund · example and blank copies · download link by email
Buy now, $24 Try the free starter
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Browse the storeWho it is for
Small-business owners and bookkeepers who review the numbers every month and want a clear picture of what changed.
Not the right fit if
Your accounting software already reports budget vs actual, or you need a multi-year or departmental budget.
Why it is different
- A line is flagged only when it is off by both a percent and a dollar amount you set, so small lines do not clutter the report.
- Favorable and unfavorable are labelled the right way round for income and for expenses.
- A filled example for an invented cleaning business and a blank copy with working formulas.
What is inside
- Start Here. Purpose, which cells to fill in and how the months are counted.
- Setup. Fiscal year start, months of actuals entered, the dollar and percent thresholds for flags, and your income and expense lines.
- Budget. Each line for twelve months, spread evenly, by seasonal percentages or typed in by month.
- Actuals. Your actual figures for each line and month.
- Variance. Month and year to date against budget, with favorable or unfavorable labelled correctly for income and expenses, flags, and a full-year forecast.
- Summary. One page with year to date results, the full-year forecast, the five largest unfavorable variances and two charts.
- Checks. Seasonal percentages that do not total 100 percent and months or lines with missing data.
A look inside
Example data, real formulas
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Budget vs Actual Workbook
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Uses the email and terms box above. You get the same download link by email.
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Get every update for a year, $29: the Yearly Updates Pass gives you each refreshed edition we release of the kits you own. One payment, no automatic renewal.
Delivered as a zip with a filled example and a blank copy. Built for Excel, tested in LibreOffice; it should open in Google Sheets but not every feature is tested there. For one business, your own use. General information, not accounting, tax or legal advice. The forecast adds your actuals so far to the budget for the remaining months, so it is only as good as that budget. Months with no data show as zero on the charts. Not financial, tax or accounting advice. Payment is handled by Stripe. If a file will not open or something looks wrong, reply to your order email and we will make it right.
Ways to get it
Just this kit, or more
Membership
$29 a month
Every kit and document pack in the store, including new ones. Cancel any time.
See the membershipQuestions
Common questions
What do I get and how is it delivered?
The Budget vs Actual Workbook as two Excel files in one zip: a filled-in EXAMPLE so you can see every tab working, and a BLANK copy for your own numbers, plus a README. The download link arrives by email after payment.
Will it open on a Mac, Google Sheets or my phone?
Built for Excel and tested in LibreOffice, which runs on Mac and Windows; it should open in Google Sheets, but not every feature is tested there. Phone spreadsheet apps are not tested. If a file will not open or something looks wrong, reply to your order email and we will make it right. If it is not right for you, email us within 14 days of buying for a full refund.
Is this legal or tax advice?
No, it is not financial, tax or accounting advice.
Is it the right fit for me?
It is made for small-business owners and bookkeepers who review the numbers every month and want a clear picture of what changed. Skip it if your accounting software already reports budget vs actual, or you need a multi-year or departmental budget.
Free starter
Try a free one-tab version first
A small working Excel file with the same kind of math, filled with made-up example numbers you can type over. We send one confirmation email, and no series follows.
Rather hand it off?
We can keep the books for you each month
If tracking this yourself is more than you want to take on, we do monthly bookkeeping in QuickBooks, Xero or Excel. Tell us what you use and what is behind, and we reply with a written quote after a short review of your books. No obligation.
Get a bookkeeping quote Free books health checkPrefer to keep it yourself but want a hand getting started? Book a 45 minute setup session ($65).
Buy it with the others
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Business Planning Bundle
This product plus 3 more, in one download.
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Product Seller Bundle
This product plus 2 more, in one download.
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Month-End Close Workbook
A real month-end close in one Excel file. It tells you when a rec does not tie, which variances still need an answer, and when the period is ready to lock.
$19