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Plan Your Holiday Gift Budget in Google Sheets (Per-Person Limits, Running Total, and a Leftover Alert)

Financely Templates — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 03:05:37 +0000

The holidays are about nine weeks away, and gift spending is the line item that quietly blows up most December budgets. A simple Google Sheets gift tracker fixes that: you set one total, give each person a limit, log what you actually spend, and the sheet tells you how much is left before you check out. Setup takes about ten minutes.

Step 1: Set your total

Make a tab called Gifts. In A1 type Total gift budget and in B1 put your number, for example 600. Everything else works off this one cell, so if you need to cut back later you only change B1.

Step 2: The gift list

Starting in row 3, add these headers:

A: Person	B: Limit	C: Gift idea	D: Spent	E: Bought?
Mom	100	Cookbook + apron	72	☑
Dad	100	Headphones	0	☐
Sam	50	Board game	45	☑
Coworker swap	25	Mug + coffee	0	☐

Select column E and choose Insert > Checkbox so you can tick gifts off as you buy them.

In F4, type:

=IF(A4="", "", B4-D4)

Drag it down your list. A negative number means you went over that person's limit.

Step 3: The running totals

Back at the top, add these in D1 through D2 with labels in C1 and C2:

C1: Planned, D1:

=SUM(B4:B50)

C2: Spent so far, D2:

=SUM(D4:D50)

Then in A2 type Left to spend and in B2:

=B1-D2

If Planned (D1) is bigger than your total in B1, you've promised more gifts than you can afford. Fix that now, in October, instead of at the register.

Step 4: Color alerts

Select F4:F50, then Format > Conditional formatting:

Less than 0: red fill (over this person's limit)
Is equal to 0: green fill (right on budget)

Select B2 and add one more rule with Custom formula is:

=B2<B1*0.1

Give it an orange fill. Now the cell lights up when you're down to your last 10% of the gift budget.

Step 5: How many gifts are still unbought

Put Still to buy in E1 and this formula in F1:

=COUNTIFS(A4:A50, "<>", E4:E50, FALSE)

That counts every person on the list whose box isn't ticked yet, so you can see at a glance how much shopping is left and how much money is left to do it with.

Bonus: Save for it monthly

If you start now, divide the gift budget by the paychecks left before the holidays. With two paychecks a month and about nine weeks to go, that's roughly four or five paychecks, so a $600 budget is about $120 to $150 per check. Put that in a separate savings line and December stops being a credit card month.

Want the template instead of building it?

I make budget templates as Financely Templates (full disclosure, these are mine):

Free starter budget (zero-based, Google Sheets): https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/hebytt
Budget & Productivity Spreadsheet Bundle, pay what you want ($0+): https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/yfcbno
Full bundle with every planner, including the debt snowball, sinking funds and meal planner: https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/okzjiw

Questions about any of the formulas? Ask in the comments and I'll help.

Track Your Net Worth Monthly in Google Sheets (Assets, Debts, and a Growth Chart)

Financely Templates — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 02:03:55 +0000

Your bank balance only tells you part of the story. Net worth, what you own minus what you owe, is the one number that shows whether your money is actually moving in the right direction. This Google Sheets tracker takes a snapshot once a month and charts the trend. Setup takes about ten minutes, and updating it takes two.

Step 1: An accounts tab

Make a tab called Accounts with these headers in row 1:

A: Account	B: Type	C: Category
Checking	Asset	Cash
High-yield savings	Asset	Cash
401(k)	Asset	Retirement
Car	Asset	Property
Credit card	Debt	Credit
Student loan	Debt	Loan

Select column B, go to Data > Data validation, choose Dropdown, and add the two options Asset and Debt. That keeps the math from breaking when someone types "asset " with a space.

Step 2: A monthly balances grid

Still on Accounts, put a month in each column starting at D1: 10/1/2026 in D1, then in E1 enter:

=EDATE(D1, 1)

Drag E1 to the right for as many months as you want. Format row 1 as Format > Number > Custom date and time and pick "Oct 2026" style so the headers stay short.

Once a month, type each account's current balance into that month's column. Enter debts as positive numbers (what you owe), since the formulas below subtract them for you.

Step 3: Totals for each month

Below your accounts, say in rows 10 to 12, add three labels in column A: Assets, Debts, Net worth. In D10:

=SUMIF($B$2:$B$8, "Asset", D2:D8)

In D11:

=SUMIF($B$2:$B$8, "Debt", D2:D8)

In D12:

=D10 - D11

Select D10:D12 and drag right across every month. The dollar signs keep the Type column locked while the balance column moves with each month.

Step 4: Month-over-month change

In row 13, label it Change. Leave D13 blank (there's no earlier month) and put this in E13:

=IF(COUNT(E2:E8)=0, "", E12 - D12)

Drag it right across the remaining months. It shows how much your net worth went up or down, and stays blank for months you haven't filled in yet. Add conditional formatting (Format > Conditional formatting, "Less than 0", red text) so a bad month jumps out.

Step 5: Debt-to-asset ratio

In row 14, label it Debt ratio, and in D14:

=IF(D10=0, "", D11 / D10)

Format it as a percent. Under 50% is a healthy place to be for most people; watching it fall month by month is surprisingly motivating.

Step 6: A growth chart

Select row 1 (the months) and row 12 (net worth) together by holding Ctrl or Cmd. Go to Insert > Chart, pick Line chart, and check "Use row 1 as headers" and "Switch rows / columns" if the chart looks sideways. Now you have a picture of your progress that updates every time you add a month.

Step 7: A quick breakdown by category

Make a small table somewhere to the right with your categories (Cash, Retirement, Property, Credit, Loan) and use:

=SUMIF($C$2:$C$8, H2, INDEX($D$2:$Z$8, 0, COUNTA($D$1:$Z$1)))

where H2 holds the category name. COUNTA finds the latest month you've filled in a header for, and INDEX grabs that column, so the breakdown always reflects your newest snapshot. Pop a pie chart on it for assets only.

Done

You now have a net worth tracker that totals assets and debts, shows the monthly change, tracks your debt ratio, and charts your progress over time.

If you'd rather start from a finished sheet, I make templates as Financely Templates (disclosure: these are my products):

Split Shared Bills With Roommates in Google Sheets (Who Owes Whom, Automatically)

Financely Templates — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 01:10:48 +0000

Rent, utilities, groceries, the Wi-Fi bill someone forgot to mention. Splitting shared costs gets messy fast, and a group chat full of "I'll Venmo you later" isn't a system. This Google Sheets tracker logs every shared expense, works out what each person's fair share is, and tells you exactly who owes whom. It takes about ten minutes to set up.

Step 1: An expense log

Make a tab called Expenses with these headers in row 1:

A: Date	B: What	C: Paid by	D: Amount
10/01/2026	Rent	Sam	1800
10/03/2026	Electric	Alex	96
10/05/2026	Groceries	Jordan	142

Every time someone pays for something shared, add a row. Format A as a date and D as currency.

To stop typos from breaking the math, select column C, then go to Data > Data validation, choose Dropdown (from a range), and point it at the list of names you'll make in Step 2.

Step 2: A people tab

Make a tab called People with these headers:

A: Name	B: Paid	C: Fair share	D: Balance
Sam
Alex
Jordan

Step 3: How much each person paid

In People!B2:

=SUMIFS(Expenses!D:D, Expenses!C:C, A2)

Drag it down for every person. This adds up every expense where that person is listed in "Paid by".

Step 4: Each person's fair share

If you split everything evenly, the fair share is the total spent divided by the number of people. In People!C2:

=SUM(Expenses!D:D) / COUNTA($A$2:$A$10)

Drag it down. If you add a fourth roommate to column A, the share updates on its own.

If your split isn't even (say one person has the bigger room), add a column E called Share % with each person's percentage (they should add up to 100%) and use this instead:

=SUM(Expenses!D:D) * E2

Step 5: The balance

In People!D2:

=B2 - C2

A positive balance means the group owes that person money. A negative balance means that person owes the group. The balances always add up to zero, which is a quick way to check the sheet is right:

=SUM(D2:D10)

With the example numbers above, the total is $2,038, so each fair share is about $679.33. Sam paid $1,800 and is owed about $1,120.67. Alex owes about $583.33 and Jordan owes about $537.33.

Step 6: Make it readable

Select D2:D10 and go to Format > Conditional formatting:

"Greater than 0" gets a green fill (is owed money).
"Less than 0" gets a red fill (owes money).

Then add a plain-English line in People!F2:

=IF(D2<0, A2 & " owes $" & TEXT(-D2, "0.00"), IF(D2>0, A2 & " is owed $" & TEXT(D2, "0.00"), A2 & " is even"))

Drag it down and you have a summary anyone in the house can read without opening a calculator.

Step 7: Settle up and start fresh

When people pay each other back, log it as an expense too: the person paying back goes in "Paid by" with the amount, and the person receiving it gets the same amount as a negative row. Once everyone is at zero, duplicate the Expenses tab for the next month so you keep a history.

Done

You now have a shared-expense sheet that tracks who paid for what, works out everyone's share (even or uneven), and shows who owes whom in plain English.

If you'd rather start from a finished sheet, I make templates as Financely Templates (disclosure: these are my products):

Build a Savings Goal Tracker in Google Sheets (Emergency Fund, Monthly Amount Needed, Progress Bars)

Financely Templates — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 23:10:17 +0000

"Save more" never works as a plan. "Put $112 a month into the car fund until June" does. This Google Sheets tracker turns each savings goal into a monthly number, logs every deposit, and draws a progress bar so you can see it filling up. It takes about fifteen minutes.

Step 1: A deposit log

Make a tab called Log with three headers in row 1:

A: Date	B: Goal	C: Amount
10/01/2026	Emergency fund	100
10/15/2026	Car repair	50

Every time you move money into savings, add a row. Format A as a date and C as currency. Withdrawals go in as negative numbers.

Step 2: The goals tab

Make a tab called Goals with these headers:

A: Goal	B: Target	C: Saved	D: Target date	E: Remaining	F: Months left	G: Needed per month	H: % done	I: Progress
Emergency fund	3000		06/01/2027
Car repair	800		02/01/2027

The goal names have to match the names you type in the Log exactly.

Step 3: Pull the saved total from the log

In C2:

=SUMIFS(Log!C:C, Log!B:B, A2)

Now you never edit "Saved" by hand. It's always the sum of your real deposits.

Step 4: Remaining and months left

In E2:

=MAX(B2-C2, 0)

In F2 (at least 1 month, so a past date doesn't break the math):

=IF(D2<=TODAY(), 1, MAX(1, DATEDIF(TODAY(), D2, "M")))

Step 5: The number that matters

In G2:

=IF(E2=0, 0, E2/F2)

Format it as currency. That's what you need to set aside each month to hit the goal on time. If the total of column G is more than you can afford, push a target date back instead of quietly giving up on the goal.

Step 6: Percent done and a progress bar

In H2 (format as a percent):

=IF(B2=0, 0, MIN(C2/B2, 1))

In I2:

=SPARKLINE(H2, {"charttype","bar"; "max",1; "color1","#2e9e5b"})

Drag C2:I2 down. Each goal now has a little green bar that grows with every deposit.

Step 7: Size your emergency fund

Off to the side, list your must-pay monthly costs (rent, utilities, groceries, insurance, minimum debt payments, transportation) in K2:L8, with the amounts in column L. Then:

Monthly essentials:

=SUM(L2:L8)

Three-month and six-month targets:

=SUM(L2:L8)*3

=SUM(L2:L8)*6

Put the three-month number in B2 as your emergency fund target. Once you hit it, you can raise it toward six months.

Step 8: One summary line

Total you need to save per month across every goal:

=SUM(G2:G20)

Compare that with what your budget actually leaves over. If they match, you have a real plan.

Done

You now have a savings tracker that logs deposits, works out the monthly amount for each goal, and shows a progress bar for each one.

If you'd rather start from a finished sheet, I make templates as Financely Templates (disclosure: these are my products):

Find Every Subscription You Forgot About With a Google Sheets Tracker (Monthly Cost, Renewal Dates, Yearly Total)

Financely Templates — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 22:07:27 +0000

Most people who sit down and list their subscriptions find at least one they forgot was still charging them. A small Google Sheets tracker shows what each one really costs per month and per year, which ones renew soon, and how much you'd save by cutting the ones you don't use. It takes about ten minutes to build.

Step 1: Set up the list

Make a tab called Subs with these headers in row 1:

A: Service	B: Price	C: Billing (Monthly/Yearly/Weekly)	D: Next renewal	E: Still using? (Y/N)	F: Monthly cost	G: Yearly cost	H: Days to renewal
Streaming	15.49	Monthly	11/03/2026	Y
Cloud storage	29.99	Yearly	01/15/2027	N

Format B, F and G as currency and D as a date. The easiest way to fill it in is to scroll through the last two or three months of bank and card statements and add every repeat charge you see.

Step 2: Normalize everything to a monthly cost

Yearly and weekly plans are hard to compare with monthly ones. In F2:

=IF(B2="", "", IFS(C2="Monthly", B2, C2="Yearly", B2/12, C2="Weekly", B2*52/12))

Step 3: Yearly cost

In G2:

=IF(F2="", "", F2*12)

Seeing "$185.88 a year" hits harder than "$15.49 a month", and that's the point.

Step 4: Days until the next renewal

In H2:

=IF(D2="", "", D2-TODAY())

Drag F2:H2 down your whole list.

Step 5: Highlight renewals coming up

Select A2:H100, open Format > Conditional formatting, choose "Custom formula is" and enter:

=AND($H2<>"", $H2<=7)

Give it a yellow fill. Add a second rule with =$E2="N" and a light red fill. Now anything you said you don't use, or anything about to charge you this week, stands out.

Step 6: The summary that makes you cancel things

Somewhere off to the side (say J1:K4):

Total per month:

=SUM(F2:F100)

Total per year:

=SUM(G2:G100)

What you'd save per year by cancelling everything marked N:

=SUMIFS(G2:G100, E2:E100, "N")

Number of subscriptions renewing in the next 30 days:

=COUNTIFS(H2:H100, ">=0", H2:H100, "<=30")

Step 7: Keep it honest

Set a reminder to look at the sheet once a month, right after payday. Update any renewal dates that rolled over, flip anything you stopped using to N, and cancel before the yellow rows charge you again.

Done

That's a working subscription tracker: every plan converted to a monthly and yearly cost, renewal countdowns, color warnings, and a "money you'd get back" number.

If you want the rest of your budget in the same kind of sheet, I make templates as Financely Templates (disclosure: these are my products):

Track Freelance Invoices in Google Sheets (Overdue Alerts, Monthly Income and Tax Set-Aside)

Financely Templates — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 21:09:18 +0000

If you freelance or run a side hustle, the hard part usually isn't doing the work. It's remembering who still owes you money. A simple invoice tracker in Google Sheets shows every unpaid invoice, flags the overdue ones in red, and tells you how much to set aside for taxes. Here's how to build one in about fifteen minutes.

Step 1: Set up the invoice log

Make a tab called Invoices with these headers in row 1:

A: Invoice #	B: Client	C: Date sent	D: Amount	E: Terms (days)	F: Due date	G: Date paid	H: Status	I: Days overdue
1001	Acme Co	10/01/2026	400	14
1002	Blue Cafe	10/05/2026	250	30		10/20/2026

Format C, F and G as dates and D as currency.

Step 2: Calculate the due date

In F2:

=IF(C2="", "", C2+E2)

Net 14 or Net 30 terms now turn into a real date you can sort by.

Step 3: Automatic status

In H2:

=IF(C2="", "", IF(G2<>"", "Paid", IF(TODAY()>F2, "Overdue", "Open")))

And how late it is, in I2:

=IF(H2="Overdue", TODAY()-F2, "")

Drag both down your list.

Step 4: Make overdue invoices impossible to miss

Select A2:I200, then go to Format > Conditional formatting. Choose "Custom formula is" and enter:

=$H2="Overdue"

Pick a light red fill. Add a second rule with =$H2="Paid" and a light green fill. Now one glance tells you who to follow up with.

Step 5: A small dashboard

Make a tab called Summary. In B2, total money still owed to you:

=SUMIFS(Invoices!D:D, Invoices!H:H, "<>Paid", Invoices!C:C, "<>")

In B3, money that's overdue:

=SUMIFS(Invoices!D:D, Invoices!H:H, "Overdue")

In B5, income actually received this month:

=SUMIFS(Invoices!D:D, Invoices!G:G, ">="&EOMONTH(TODAY(),-1)+1, Invoices!G:G, "<="&EOMONTH(TODAY(),0))

Step 6: Set aside money for taxes

Freelance income usually has no tax withheld. Put your set-aside rate in B6 of Summary (many people use somewhere around 25 to 30%, but check what fits your situation), then:

=ROUND(B5*B6, 2)

where B5 is this month's received income. Move that amount into a separate savings account each month so a tax bill never surprises you.

Step 7: Income by client

Want to know which clients are worth the most? Below the dashboard, list each client name in column D (starting in D10), then in E10:

=SUMIFS(Invoices!D:D, Invoices!B:B, D10, Invoices!H:H, "Paid")

Sort by that column and you can see where your money really comes from.

Done

That's a working freelance tracker: due dates from payment terms, automatic Open/Overdue/Paid status, red rows for late clients, monthly income and a tax set-aside number.

If you'd rather start from a finished sheet, I make templates as Financely Templates (disclosure: these are my products):

Budget by Paycheck in Google Sheets (Which Bills Come Out of Which Check)

Financely Templates — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:07:54 +0000

If you're paid every two weeks, a monthly budget can feel wrong: rent is due on the 1st, but your check lands on the 9th. Budgeting by paycheck fixes that. Each check gets its own list of bills, so you always know what has to come out of the money you have right now. Here's how to build it in Google Sheets in about ten minutes.

Step 1: List your paydays

Make a tab called Paydays. In A2 put your next payday, then in A3:

=A2+14

Drag it down about 26 rows for a full year. In B2 put your take-home pay for that check (use the real deposited amount, not gross pay).

Step 2: List your bills with due days

Make a tab called Bills:

A: Bill	B: Amount	C: Due day of month
Rent	950	1
Phone	45	12
Car insurance	120	18
Internet	60	24

Step 3: Find which paycheck covers each bill

The rule: a bill is paid from the last paycheck that arrives before its next due date. In D2, work out the next due date:

=IF(DATE(YEAR(TODAY()),MONTH(TODAY()),C2)>=TODAY(), DATE(YEAR(TODAY()),MONTH(TODAY()),C2), DATE(YEAR(TODAY()),MONTH(TODAY())+1,C2))

Then in E2, find the paycheck that covers it:

=IFERROR(MAXIFS(Paydays!A:A, Paydays!A:A, "<="&D2), "Before first payday")

Format both D and E as dates.

Step 4: Total the bills for each check

Back on Paydays, in C2, add up every bill assigned to that check:

=SUMIFS(Bills!B:B, Bills!E:E, A2)

And in D2, what's left after bills:

=B2-C2

Add conditional formatting on column D (Format > Conditional formatting, "Less than 0", red fill). A red cell means that check can't cover its bills, so you know weeks ahead to move a due date or set money aside from the check before.

Step 5: Split what's left

What's left in D2 is what you can give a job. Add columns for savings, groceries and fun:

=ROUND(D2*0.2, 2)

for 20% savings, and so on. Keep the percentages in a header row so you can tweak them without editing every formula.

Step 6: Spot the three-paycheck months

Twice a year, biweekly pay gives you a third check in one month. Flag it in E2:

=IF(COUNTIFS(A:A, ">="&EOMONTH(A2,-1)+1, A:A, "<="&EOMONTH(A2,0))=3, "3rd check month", "")

Those checks usually have almost no bills assigned, which makes them perfect for an emergency fund or an extra debt payment.

Done

That's a paycheck budget: every bill tied to the check that pays it, a red warning when one check is overloaded, and an early heads-up on your bonus checks.

If you'd rather start from a finished sheet, I make templates as Financely Templates (disclosure: these are my products):

Build a Debt Snowball Tracker in Google Sheets (With a Payoff Date Formula)

Financely Templates — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 19:09:14 +0000

The debt snowball is simple: pay minimums on everything, then throw every extra dollar at the smallest balance. When it's gone, roll that payment into the next one. A spreadsheet makes it easy to see the finish line, and here's how to build one in about ten minutes.

Step 1: List your debts

Make a tab called Debts with these columns:

A: Debt	B: Balance	C: APR %	D: Minimum	E: Extra
Store card	420	24.99	25	150
Credit card	1,900	21.5	55	0
Car loan	6,300	6.9	210	0

Sort by balance, smallest first: select the rows and use Data > Sort range > Column B, A to Z. That order is your snowball.

Step 2: Months to pay off each debt

Google Sheets has NPER, which returns how many payments it takes to clear a balance at a given rate. In F2:

=IFERROR(NPER(C2/100/12, -(D2+E2), B2), "Payment too low")

If the payment doesn't cover the monthly interest, you'll see "Payment too low" instead of a nonsense number, which is a useful warning on its own.

Step 3: A payoff date

In G2, turn months into a calendar date:

=IF(ISNUMBER(F2), EDATE(TODAY(), ROUNDUP(F2, 0)), "")

Format column G as a date (Format > Number > Date).

Step 4: Roll the snowball

When the first debt is paid off, its whole payment moves to the next one. In E3, add the freed-up payment from the row above once that debt is cleared:

=IF(B2<=0, D2+E2, 0)

Update balances once a month and the extra payment moves down the list by itself.

Step 5: Total interest you'll pay

In H2, estimate the total interest on each debt:

=IF(ISNUMBER(F2), ROUND(F2*(D2+E2) - B2, 2), "")

Then =SUM(H2:H) at the bottom. Try bumping the extra payment by $25 and watch that total drop. That's usually the most motivating number in the whole sheet.

Step 6: A progress bar

Add your starting total debt in J1 and current total in J2 (=SUM(B2:B)), then:

=SPARKLINE(1-J2/J1, {"charttype","bar";"max",1;"color1","#2e7d32"})

Watching that green bar grow helps a lot on the slow months.

Done

That's a working snowball tracker: payoff months, real dates, total interest, and a progress bar.

If you'd rather start from a finished sheet, I make templates as Financely Templates (disclosure: these are my products):

How I Built a Zero-Based Budget in Google Sheets With 5 Formulas (Free Template)

Financely Templates — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:04:15 +0000

Zero-based budgeting has one rule: income minus everything you plan to spend, save, or pay off equals exactly $0. Every dollar gets a job. You don't need an app, just a Google Sheet and five formulas.

1. SUM: total your income

=SUM(B2:B5) adds up take-home pay from every source. Use your lowest normal month if income varies.

2. SUMIF: total each category

=SUMIF(C:C,"Housing",D:D) adds every expense tagged "Housing". Repeat for Food, Transport, Savings, and so on.

3. The zero check

=B7-SUM(D2:D20) is income minus planned spending. The goal is 0. Positive means unassigned money, negative means overspending.

4. IF: a visual warning

=IF(B8=0,"Balanced","Fix me: "&TEXT(B8,"$0.00")) tells you at a glance whether the budget balances.

5. Percent of income

=D2/$B$7 shows what share of income each line takes. Format as percent to spot where money really goes.

Skip the setup (free and paid templates)

Free zero-based budget template (Excel + Google Sheets, pay what you want, $0 is fine): https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/hebytt
All 7 budget and productivity spreadsheets plus ChatGPT prompts, pay what you want ($0+): https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/yfcbno
Want to support the work? The full Financely Templates bundle: https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/okzjiw

Disclosure: I make these templates under Financely Templates.

Build it once, and each month takes about 10 minutes. What formulas do you use in your budget sheet?

Build a GPA Calculator in Google Sheets (Plus the "What Do I Need on the Final?" Formula)

Financely Templates — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:10:20 +0000

Most students only see their GPA when the transcript posts, which is too late to change anything. The math fits in a few cells, so you can track it all semester. Here's the whole setup.

Step 1: A grade scale lookup

Put your school's scale on a tab called Scale:

A: Letter	B: Points
A	4.0
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3.0
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0
D	1.0
F	0

Check your catalog: some schools count A+ as 4.3 and some skip minus grades, so keep this editable.

Step 2: The class table

On a Semester tab:

A: Class	B: Credits	C: Letter
Biology	4	B+
Calculus	4	B
English	3	A
Psychology	3	A-

In D2, look up the points for each letter and fill down:

=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(C2, Scale!A:B, 2, FALSE), "")

Add a dropdown on column C with Data > Data validation > Dropdown (from a range) pointing at Scale!A2:A so nobody types "b plus".

Step 3: Semester GPA in one formula

=SUMPRODUCT(B2:B20, D2:D20) / SUMIF(D2:D20, "<>", B2:B20)

For the example above: quality points are 13.2 + 12.0 + 12.0 + 11.1 = 48.3 over 14 credits, so the GPA is 3.45. The SUMIF keeps classes without a grade yet from dragging the average down.

Cumulative GPA is the same formula across every semester's rows (or sum each semester's quality points and credits, then divide).

Step 4: "What do I need on the final?"

The question everyone googles at midnight. With your current grade in F2, the final's weight in G2 (as a decimal) and your target in H2:

=(H2 - F2 * (1 - G2)) / G2

Example: you have 84% going into a final worth 30%. For a 90%: (90 - 84 x 0.7) / 0.3 = 104%, so an A is off the table. For an 80%: (80 - 58.8) / 0.3 = about 71%. Knowing that early tells you which class deserves your study time.

Wrap it so impossible targets are obvious:

=LET(n, (H2 - F2*(1-G2)) / G2, IF(n > 100, "Not reachable", IF(n <= 0, "Already safe", ROUND(n, 1) & "%")))

Step 5: A deadline tracker next to your grades

GPA problems usually start as missed assignments, not bad exams. Add an Assignments tab with Class, Assignment, Due date (C), and a "Days left" column:

=IF(C2="", "", C2 - TODAY())

Then Format > Conditional formatting: custom formula =AND($D2<>"", $D2<0) in red and =AND($D2>=0, $D2<=3) in yellow. Anything overdue or due soon jumps out.

Want it prebuilt?

I'm with Financely Templates, and we sell a ready-made version of this (GPA calculator with an editable scale, assignment tracker with Due soon and OVERDUE flags, weighted grade calculator, exam countdown and study schedule). If you'd rather start free:

Free zero-based budget starter (handy on a student budget): https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/hebytt
Budget and productivity spreadsheet bundle, pay what you want ($0+): https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/yfcbno
Full Financely Templates bundle with everything: https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/okzjiw

Always check your school's official grading policy; a planning sheet isn't a transcript. Questions about the formulas? Drop them in the comments.

A Google Sheets Meal Planner That Builds Your Grocery List Automatically

Financely Templates — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:04:18 +0000

Planning meals saves money, but only if the grocery list is painless. Here's a two-tab sheet where you pick meals for the week and the shopping list (with an estimated cost) fills itself in.

Tab 1: Recipes

One row per ingredient, per recipe:

A: Recipe	B: Ingredient	C: Qty	D: Unit	E: Cost per unit
Chili	Ground beef	1	lb	4.50
Chili	Kidney beans	2	can	0.89
Tacos	Ground beef	1	lb	4.50

Tab 2: Week

A2:A8: Monday to Sunday.
B2:B8: dinner. Add a dropdown with Data > Data validation > Dropdown (from a range) pointing at =UNIQUE(Recipes!A2:A).

The grocery list

In Week!D2, list every ingredient needed this week, combined:

=QUERY(
  FILTER(Recipes!B2:E, COUNTIF(B2:B8, Recipes!A2:A)),
  "select Col1, sum(Col2), Col3 group by Col1, Col3 label sum(Col2) 'Qty'", 0)

COUNTIF(B2:B8, Recipes!A2:A) returns how many nights each recipe row is planned. FILTER treats that count as true or false, so chili twice in a week still shows the ingredients only once. To scale for repeats, swap to the version below.

Scaling for repeat meals

Add a helper column F in Recipes:

=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(A2:A="",, C2:C * COUNTIF(Week!B2:B8, A2:A)))

Then point the QUERY at Recipes!B2:F and sum Col5 instead of Col2.

Estimated cost

=SUMPRODUCT(Recipes!E2:E, Recipes!F2:F)

That's your weekly grocery estimate, and you can compare it against your food budget line.

Done

Change the dropdowns each Sunday and the list rebuilds.

If you'd rather grab a ready-made version, I make templates as Financely Templates (disclosure: these are my products):

Free budget starter: https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/hebytt
Bundle of 7 templates including the meal planner, pay what you want ($0 works): https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/yfcbno
Same bundle at the regular price: https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/okzjiw

Build a Habit Tracker in Google Sheets With Checkboxes, Streaks, and a Progress Bar

Financely Templates — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:03:21 +0000

Habit apps are great until they want a subscription. A spreadsheet does the same job for free, and you can see the whole month at once. Here's how to build one in about 15 minutes.

1. Lay out the grid

Column A: habit names (A3:A10), e.g. "Drink water", "Read 20 min", "Walk".
Row 2: the days of the month. In B2 put =DATE(2026,11,1) and in C2 put =B2+1, then drag right to AF2. Format as d so each column header just shows the day number.
Select B3:AF10 and choose Insert > Checkbox.

2. Count completions per habit

In AG3:

=COUNTIF(B3:AF3, TRUE)

Drag down. That's how many days you did each habit.

3. Completion rate

In AH3:

=AG3 / COUNTA($B$2:$AF$2)

Format as a percentage.

4. Current streak

This counts consecutive checked days ending today (it ignores future days). In AI3:

=LET(days, FILTER(B3:AF3, $B$2:$AF$2<=TODAY()),
     n, COLUMNS(days),
     last_miss, IFERROR(MAX(FILTER(SEQUENCE(1,n), NOT(days))), 0),
     n - last_miss)

If you've missed nothing so far, the streak equals the number of days elapsed.

5. A progress bar without charts

In AJ3:

=SPARKLINE(AH3, {"charttype","bar"; "max",1; "color1","#34a853"})

6. Color the checked days

Select B3:AF10, then Format > Conditional formatting > Custom formula: =B3=TRUE, fill green. Add a second rule =AND(B$2<TODAY(), B3=FALSE) with light red so missed days stand out.

That's it

Duplicate the tab each month and change the date in B2.

If you'd rather not build it yourself, I make spreadsheet templates under the name Financely Templates (disclosure: these are my products):

Free budget starter: https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/hebytt
Full bundle of 7 templates (habit tracker, meal planner, GPA planner, budget and more), pay what you want, $0 is fine: https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/yfcbno
Same bundle at the regular price if you want to support the work: https://financely15.gumroad.com/l/okzjiw

Questions about the formulas? Drop them in the comments.