Debt Payoff and Budget Spreadsheet Bundle for Excel, Snowball, Avalanche, Monthly Planner

Both workbooks together: a full-year zero-based budget (monthly, paycheck, sinking funds, dashboard) and a debt payoff tracker that compares snowball and avalanche side by side with your own numbers. Each ships with a filled example and a blank Start Fresh copy.

BUDGET SPREADSHEET
- Setup: pick your currency (USD, GBP, CAD, AUD, EUR), budget year, pay frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly), take-home pay
- Your own categories (up to 40) as Income, Expense, Savings or Debt, each with a default monthly amount
- 12 monthly tabs, zero-based: planned vs actual per category, "left to budget" turns green at 0, overspends turn red
- Transaction log on every month (200 rows): pick a category from the drop-down and the Actual column adds itself up; a CHECK flag catches a misspelt category
- Paycheck budget: your paydays for any month, worked out from one date, and which bills each paycheck must cover, with what's left
- Sinking funds: up to 12 goals with target, date, monthly contributions, progress bar and "save per month"
- Year dashboard: income, spending, savings, debt payments and savings rate for all 12 months, with charts, plus planned vs actual per category for the year

DEBT PAYOFF TRACKER
- Up to 10 debts: balance, APR, minimum payment; pick your currency
- Snowball (smallest balance first) and Avalanche (highest APR first) compared side by side, plus a minimums-only baseline
- For each plan: months to debt-free, debt-free date, total interest, total paid, interest saved and months saved vs minimums
- Payoff month and date for every debt in both plans; payoff-order chart
- Extra monthly payment input: change it and watch your debt-free date move
- Rollover built in: when a debt is cleared, its minimum goes to the next one
- A clear red WARNING when a minimum payment doesn't cover the interest (that debt never shrinks on minimums)
- Balance-over-time chart: snowball vs avalanche vs minimums
- Progress tracker: log what you owe each month, planned vs actual, progress bar, debts-cleared checklist
- Full 360-month schedules for all three plans, so every number can be traced

WHAT'S INCLUDED (5 files, instant download)
- Budget-Spreadsheet.xlsx
- Budget-Spreadsheet-Start-Fresh.xlsx
- Debt-Payoff-Tracker.xlsx
- Debt-Payoff-Tracker-Start-Fresh.xlsx
- README.pdf

HOW TO USE
1. Budget: set up currency, pay and categories, then log each month.
2. Debt: enter your debts and any extra payment, then compare the plans.
3. Put the plan's total debt payment into the budget's Debt categories.
Each workbook has a Start Here tab with full instructions and the method behind every number.

WORKS WITH
A script opened this file in Microsoft Excel for Mac 16.114.3 and ran a full recalculation. Every cell matched the values stored in the file, with no error cells. That test did not type new data. Excel for Windows, older Excel versions and Google Sheets have not been tried. The formula tests ran in LibreOffice.
- No macros, no add-ons. Formula cells are locked without a password so you can't break them by accident.
- Easiest on a computer; phone and tablet apps work for viewing.

FAQ
Q: Which is better, snowball or avalanche?
A: The sheet shows both with your own numbers. Avalanche usually costs less interest; snowball clears small debts sooner. It is your choice, and the sheet doesn't give advice.

Q: Why don't the numbers match my statement exactly?
A: Lenders often charge interest daily and may add fees. The sheet estimates interest monthly (balance x APR / 12). Update your balances from your statements every few months.

Q: Does it work in Google Sheets?
A: Google Sheets has not been tried. Everything is built from standard functions; there are no macros.

Q: Do I need Microsoft 365?
A: No subscription-only functions are used. Excel for Mac 16.114.3 was tested. Other Excel versions and Google Sheets have not been tried.

Q: Can I use my own currency?
A: Pick USD, GBP, CAD, AUD or EUR on the setup sheet; the symbol updates in the headers. Amounts are plain numbers, so any other currency works too.

Q: Is the example data real?
A: No, it is made-up example data so you can see every feature. Use the Start Fresh copy for your own numbers.

Q: Refunds?
A: Digital files can't be returned once downloaded. If a file doesn't open or something looks wrong, message us and we will fix it.

NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE
This is a planning and record-keeping tool. Results depend on the numbers you enter and on a simplified method (monthly interest = balance x APR / 12). Your lender's statements are the real figures. No promise of any financial outcome; for advice about your situation, speak to a qualified adviser.

HOW THIS WAS MADE
The spreadsheets were designed and built with the help of AI tools (formula drafting, layout code and listing text). Scripts recalculated each workbook in LibreOffice and compared it with a separate Python calculation (the debt plans match to the cent across 8 test cases, the budget across 7). The listing images are screenshots of the real spreadsheets; no AI-generated images are used.

For your personal use. Please do not resell, share or redistribute the files.