First-Year Grad Budget Tracker Spreadsheet
Free, simple tool to help new graduate students track stipend, expenses, and savings throughout their first academic year.
What it is
A ready-to-use spreadsheet designed specifically for first-year master’s and PhD students. It provides a clear, low-maintenance way to log monthly income (stipends, assistantships), fixed costs (rent, utilities, insurance), and variable spending (groceries, transit, books, self-care). The layout avoids complex macros or obscure formulas—it works immediately in Excel or Google Sheets.
Who it’s for
- Students starting their first graduate program who need to manage a fixed stipend for the first time
- Anyone who wants a single place to see where money is going without spending hours on budgeting apps
- New grads who prefer a lightweight, customizable spreadsheet over preset finance tools
What’s inside
- Monthly income tracker (stipend, teaching/research pay, side income)
- Fixed expense categories (rent, utilities, phone, insurance)
- Variable expense categories (groceries, transit, books, personal care, entertainment)
- Simple year-to-date summary that auto-calculates totals and balances
- Pre-set academic-year timeline (9–12 months) with month-by-month sheets
- No login, no cloud sync required—just download and open
How to get it
Enter your email address below to receive a copy of the spreadsheet via Google Sheets. You’ll be able to make your own copy, edit it, and keep it forever. No spam, unsubscribe at any time.
Ongoing updates
- Updated each year for the new academic cycle
- Bugs and feature requests handled via a simple feedback form
- New features added quarterly based on the most common user requests
- Free to download and keep—no subscription or hidden costs