Recording expenses is the easy part. Actually looking at them is where most budgets fall apart. Numbers you collect but never review don't tell you where the money went. Block out 30 minutes once a month and work through the steps below. Setting a timer helps you finish.
What you need
- This month's receipt photos (your receipts album)
- This month's transactions, downloaded from your bank or card app
- Your spending spreadsheet from previous months
Step 1 (5 minutes): turn receipts into rows
Add this month's photos to the receipt tool in one go. If there are more than 30, add them in batches and they'll join the same table. Fix only the yellow cells against the photos, download the file, and paste the rows into this month's sheet.
Step 2 (10 minutes): reconcile with your statement
Receipts alone miss subscriptions, online orders and anything you didn't get a receipt for.
- Paste your card transactions into another sheet in the same file.
- Match rows with the same date and amount. In column E of your spending sheet,
=COUNTIFS(Card!A:A, B2, Card!C:C, D2)returns 1 for a match and 0 for none. - Add statement-only charges to your spending sheet, and check whether receipt-only rows were paid in cash or with another card.
Logging the same purchase twice is the most common mistake. Take a second look at any row that matches more than once.
Step 3 (5 minutes): total by category
Fill in any blank categories, then total each one. List your categories on a Summary sheet and add a formula beside each:
=SUMIFS(ThisMonth!D:D, ThisMonth!F:F, A2)
With lots of categories, a PivotTable is faster.
Step 4 (5 minutes): compare with last month
Put last month's totals next to this month's and work out the change.
| Category | Last month | This month | Change | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | 455.90 | 512.40 | 56.50 | 12% |
| Transport | 121.40 | 98.00 | −23.40 | −19% |
| Household | 38.20 | 71.30 | 33.10 | 87% |
- Change:
=C2-B2 - % change:
=IF(B2=0, "", C2/B2-1)with a percentage format
Write a one-line reason next to any big jump. A clear one-off like "Household: new vacuum" is nothing to worry about. An increase you can't explain is the thing worth looking into.
Step 5 (5 minutes): pick one thing for next month
The point of a review isn't guilt, it's one action for next month. Pick several and you'll likely keep none, so choose just one.
- "Takeout twice a week at most"
- "Photograph the fridge before the weekend grocery run"
- "Bring a reusable cup to the coffee shop with the discount"
Write it at the top of your Summary sheet and start next month's review by checking whether you stuck to it.
Keeping the habit going
- Fix the date. Put something like "the Saturday after payday" in your calendar as a repeating event.
- Don't chase every cent. Small differences are fine. You're looking for patterns.
- If you review with a partner or family, make it about choosing next month's one action together, not about blame.
Summary
Five minutes turning receipts into rows, ten reconciling, five totaling, five comparing, and five choosing one action. Repeat this 30-minute review every month and a year from now you'll see exactly where your money goes.