College Student Budget Planner Spreadsheet — Semester Budget, Expense Log, Savings Goals & Assignment Tracker, Excel and Google Sheets

College money disappears fast when you can't see it. The College Student Budget & Life Planner puts your whole semester in one simple spreadsheet: track income from your campus job, aid and family support, see exactly what you spend across 12 student-life categories, save toward goals that actually matter, and stay on top of every assignment — no finance degree, no complicated app, no subscription.

• DASHBOARD — total income, total expenses, left to spend (income minus expenses, pulled from your Semester Budget totals), total saved and overall % saved toward your goals, plus assignments due, completed and % complete — all pulled in automatically
• SEMESTER BUDGET — 3 income sources (Campus Job, Financial Aid Refund, Family Support) and 12 expense categories built for student life (Rent Share, Groceries, Eating Out, Transport, Books & Supplies, Subscriptions, Fun / Entertainment, Clothing, Phone, Personal Care, School Fees & Tech, Health & Other), each with Planned, Actual and Difference (Planned − Actual), with TOTAL INCOME and TOTAL EXPENSES rows
• EXPENSE LOG — 14 sample purchases with dates, descriptions and category dropdowns matching your budget categories, plus a log total. Clearly marked informational only: the Dashboard reads the Semester Budget totals, so you never double-count
• SAVINGS GOALS — 4 goals (Emergency Fund, Spring Break, New Laptop, Summer): target, saved, remaining, % saved and Monthly Needed (remaining ÷ months) all calculate themselves, with a TOTALS row
• ASSIGNMENTS — 10 sample assignments with class, assignment, due date and a Done? Yes/No dropdown; total, completed and % complete (via COUNTIF) update themselves
• START HERE — a friendly 5-step setup guide written in plain student language; up and running in minutes

WHAT'S INSIDE (6 sheets):
• START HERE — friendly 5-step setup guide with a color legend
• DASHBOARD — semester money, savings and assignments at a glance, fully automatic
• SEMESTER BUDGET — income + 12 expense categories with Planned, Actual & Difference
• EXPENSE LOG — dated purchase log with category dropdowns (informational)
• SAVINGS GOALS — 4 goals with target, saved, remaining, % saved & monthly needed
• ASSIGNMENTS — class assignment tracker with live % complete

HOW IT WORKS: Download instantly → type in the blue cells → everything calculates automatically. No spreadsheet skills needed — if you can type, you can run your semester.

WHAT YOU GET: 1 Excel file (.xlsx, 6 sheets), works in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. Instant download.

PLEASE NOTE: Digital download; no physical item ships. The file comes prefilled with realistic sample data (one student's semester: $5,450 actual income, $4,605 actual expenses, $845 left to spend, 4 savings goals and 10 assignments) so you can see every formula working — just type over it with your own numbers.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q: I opened the spreadsheet in Google Sheets and it says "view only" — how do I edit it?
A: That happens with Google Sheets from time to time. Open the file, then in the top menu choose File → Make a copy. The copy belongs to you and is fully editable. If it still won't open, try a computer or laptop instead of a phone, a different browser, make sure you're signed in to Google Sheets, and check that your Google Drive has space. Still stuck? Message me on Etsy and I'll help you sort it out.

Q: I can't download my purchase on my phone — what am I doing wrong?
A: Nothing — the Etsy app doesn't support downloading files. Open your browser (log out of the Etsy app first if it keeps redirecting you), sign in to Etsy, and download from your Purchases page on a mobile browser, or use a laptop or desktop. Once the file is saved you can open it on your phone any time.

Q: What exactly is a spreadsheet template?
A: It's a ready-made spreadsheet with all the formatting and formulas already built in. Download it, type in the blue cells, and everything else calculates itself. Colors, headings and layout can be customized if you like, but you never need to touch a formula.

Q: Can I return or exchange my purchase?
A: Because this is a digital download, returns and exchanges aren't possible once the file has been downloaded — you'll always keep access to it in your Etsy account. If you bought it by accident and haven't downloaded it yet, send me a message and I'll take care of it.

Q: Is it available in other languages?
A: Right now the planner is in English only.

*This digital product has been created with the assistance of AI Tools, then refined by me, the seller*