Excel Budget Activity | VUB Intermediate Computer Skills

🎯 Goal: Create a Monthly Budget Tracker

In this activity, you'll create a simple budget spreadsheet using formulas to automatically calculate totals. Follow the steps below and check each task as you complete it.

📋 Example: What You'll Create

	A	B	C	D
1	Category	Budgeted	Actual	Difference
2	Rent/Mortgage	$800	$800	$0
3	Groceries	$300	$325	-$25
4	Utilities	$150	$142	$8
5	Transportation	$100	$95	$5
6	Entertainment	$50	$75	-$25
7	TOTAL	=SUM(B2:B6)	=SUM(C2:C6)	=SUM(D2:D6)

Yellow cells show where you'll type formulas. The Difference column uses =C2-B2 (Actual minus Budgeted).

Part 1: Set Up Your Spreadsheet

Open Microsoft Excel Start menu → Microsoft Excel, or click Excel icon
Create a new blank workbook Click "Blank workbook" on the start screen
Save your file immediately Ctrl+S → Name it "Budget_YourName" → Save to Documents

Part 2: Enter Headers and Data

Type headers in Row 1 A1: Category | B1: Budgeted | C1: Actual | D1: Difference
Enter 5 expense categories in column A Start in A2. Examples: Rent, Groceries, Utilities, Gas, Entertainment
Enter budgeted amounts in column B How much you PLAN to spend on each category
Enter actual amounts in column C How much you ACTUALLY spent (can be same or different)

Part 3: Add Formulas

Calculate the Difference for each row In D2, type: =C2-B2 (Actual minus Budgeted)

💡 Hint: After typing =C2-B2 in D2, you can copy it down! Select D2, press Ctrl+C, select D3:D6, press Ctrl+V.

Copy the formula down to all rows Fill D3, D4, D5, D6 with the difference formula
Add TOTAL row In A7, type: TOTAL
Add SUM formula for Budgeted total In B7, type: =SUM(B2:B6)
Add SUM formula for Actual total In C7, type: =SUM(C2:C6)
Add SUM formula for Difference total In D7, type: =SUM(D2:D6)

Part 4: Format Your Budget

Format numbers as currency Select B2:D7 → Home tab → Click $ button
Bold the headers Select A1:D1 → Press Ctrl+B (or click Bold button)
Bold the TOTAL row Select A7:D7 → Press Ctrl+B

Bonus Challenge: Add a Chart

Create a chart comparing Budgeted vs Actual Select A1:C6 → Insert tab → Column Chart → Choose first option

✏️ Planning Space

Plan your budget categories and amounts here before entering them in Excel:

Category	Budgeted	Actual
	$	$
	$	$
	$	$
	$	$
	$	$
TOTAL	$	$

🎉 You Did It!

You've created a working budget spreadsheet with formulas! Now if you change any of your Budgeted or Actual amounts, the Difference and TOTAL will update automatically. That's the power of Excel formulas!