The best examples of tracking monthly expenses: 3 practical examples you can actually use

Let’s skip the theory and go straight into the best examples of tracking monthly expenses that real people actually use. You’ll see three main setups:

• A spreadsheet lover who wants everything laid out in neat rows
• A busy family that relies on apps and automation
• A freelancer who has to track both personal and business expenses

These are the examples of tracking monthly expenses: 3 practical examples that I see work again and again. As you read, notice which one feels the most “doable” for your own life. That’s usually the right place to start.

Example #1: The simple spreadsheet tracker for a full-time employee

Meet Jordan, 32, full-time marketing manager. Jordan gets paid twice a month, has a couple of credit cards, some student loans, and wants to save for a house down payment.

Jordan’s favorite tool is a basic spreadsheet. Nothing fancy. Just a clear snapshot of every dollar.

How this example of tracking monthly expenses is set up

Jordan’s spreadsheet has four main sections:

1. Income section

• Paycheck 1 (after tax)
• Paycheck 2 (after tax)
• Occasional bonus or overtime

2. Fixed expenses section
These are bills that don’t change much month to month:

• Rent: $1,600
• Internet: $70
• Cell phone: $55
• Car payment: $320
• Student loan: $220
• Streaming bundle (Netflix, Hulu, Spotify): $45
• Gym membership: $30

3. Variable expenses section
These change each month and are tracked line by line:

• Groceries
• Restaurants / takeout
• Gas / transportation
• Household supplies
• Personal care (haircuts, skincare, etc.)
• Fun / entertainment
• Gifts

4. Savings & debt payoff section

• Emergency fund
• Roth IRA contribution
• Extra student loan payment

Every transaction gets entered into the spreadsheet. Jordan checks bank and credit card activity twice a week and logs:

• Date
• Vendor (Trader Joe’s, Uber, Target, etc.)
• Category
• Amount
• Notes (optional, like “work lunch” or “friend’s birthday”)

Why this is one of the best examples of tracking monthly expenses

This is one of the best examples of tracking monthly expenses because it forces you to actually see your behavior. When Jordan started, the numbers were a bit of a wake-up call:

• Restaurants: averaging $550 per month
• Groceries: only $260 per month
• Streaming + subscriptions: $95 per month (some forgotten trials still active)

With the spreadsheet, Jordan made three simple moves:

• Canceled two unused subscriptions (saved $24/month)
• Set a restaurant limit of $350 and moved the difference into savings
• Increased grocery budget slightly to cook more at home

Just from tracking, Jordan freed up around $200 per month, which now goes into a high-yield savings account. If you want a template, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) offers simple budgeting worksheets you can adapt into your own spreadsheet: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/budgeting/

This first scenario is a clear example of tracking monthly expenses where every transaction is manually logged. It works especially well if you like structure and don’t mind a little data entry.

Example #2: App-based tracking for a family with kids

Now let’s look at Casey and Morgan, a couple with two kids, ages 6 and 9. They both work, life is chaotic, and no one is sitting down to update a spreadsheet three times a week.

Their solution: let apps do most of the heavy lifting.

How this family uses apps as an example of tracking monthly expenses

They connect their checking accounts and credit cards to a budgeting app that automatically:

• Pulls in transactions every day
• Groups them into categories (groceries, gas, utilities, etc.)
• Shows colorful charts and monthly trends

They create spending “buckets” like:

• Mortgage
• Utilities (electric, gas, water, trash)
• Groceries
• Kids (clothes, school supplies, activities)
• Childcare / after-school care
• Medical / health
• Transportation
• Eating out
• Subscriptions
• Fun money (one category for each adult)

Then they do something smart: a 15-minute “Money Sunday” once a week.

They open the app on a tablet, sit at the kitchen table, and check:

• Are we on track for the month?
• Any surprise charges or fraud?
• Any categories that are already close to the limit?

If groceries are already at 80% of the target by the 20th, they’ll plan a couple of cheaper meals for the week. If “Fun money” is gone, they skip the extra takeout.

Why this is one of the best examples of tracking monthly expenses for busy people

This is one of the best examples of tracking monthly expenses for families because it recognizes reality: people are tired. Automation helps.

Some specific 2024–2025 trends they watch inside the app:

• Rising food costs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported higher grocery prices in recent years, so they track groceries closely and compare month to month: https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/
• Higher housing and utility costs. They keep an eye on seasonal spikes in energy bills and adjust their monthly averages accordingly.

Real changes they made after three months of tracking:

• Switched cell phone plans and saved $40/month
• Noticed they were spending $180/month on kids’ impulse purchases (random toys, apps, etc.) — they cut that in half by setting a family “fun budget”
• Moved to a cheaper streaming bundle after seeing subscriptions total over $120/month

This app-based setup is a strong example of tracking monthly expenses: 3 practical examples because it shows how to involve both partners, keep it light, and still know exactly where the money is going.

Example #3: Tracking personal and business expenses as a freelancer

Finally, let’s talk about Alex, a freelance graphic designer. Alex has irregular income, a mix of clients, and both personal and business expenses flowing through the same accounts (at least at the beginning).

This is where tracking monthly expenses stops being “nice to have” and starts protecting your sanity — and your taxes.

How this freelancer’s system works as an example of tracking monthly expenses

Alex sets up two checking accounts and two credit cards:

• One pair for business only
• One pair for personal only

Every client payment goes into the business checking account. Every business expense is paid from that account or the business credit card. This makes it much easier to track:

• Software subscriptions (Adobe, Canva, project management tools)
• Equipment (laptop, monitor, drawing tablet)
• Office expenses (desk, chair, printer ink)
• Advertising and marketing
• Travel for client meetings

For monthly tracking, Alex uses a hybrid approach:

• Business expenses are tracked in simple bookkeeping software
• Personal expenses are tracked in a spreadsheet similar to Jordan’s

On the business side, Alex categorizes everything according to IRS-friendly labels, using the guidance on deductible business expenses here: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/deducting-business-expenses

On the personal side, Alex tracks:

• Rent and utilities
• Groceries and dining out
• Health insurance (bought on the marketplace)
• Retirement contributions
• Emergency fund savings

How this example of tracking monthly expenses changes behavior

When Alex first started tracking, a few surprises popped up:

• Software and online tools: over $280/month
• Eating out while “working from coffee shops”: $260/month
• Inconsistent savings — some months \(600, other months \)0

Seeing those patterns, Alex made concrete changes:

• Canceled unused tools and switched to annual billing for a discount (saving about $70/month)
• Set a strict coffee shop budget of $80/month and does more work from home
• Created a rule: 30% of every client payment automatically moves into a tax/savings account

This freelancer scenario is a powerful example of tracking monthly expenses because it shows how tracking can protect you from tax surprises and help smooth out the ups and downs of variable income.

Smaller, everyday examples of tracking monthly expenses that actually help

Beyond those three big scenarios, there are smaller real examples of tracking monthly expenses that can make a big difference without overhauling your entire life.

Here are a few concrete, everyday examples of how people quietly keep an eye on their money:

• A college student keeps a running note on their phone with every purchase over $5 for the month. At the end of the month, they total “needs” vs. “wants” and adjust next month’s spending.
• A couple uses their bank’s built-in spending report to compare this month’s restaurant spending to the last three months, then agrees on a target for the next month.
• A parent prints their last two months of credit card statements, grabs a highlighter, and marks every impulse purchase. They track just that one category for 90 days to see if it shrinks.
• Someone trying to pay off debt tracks only three numbers on a sticky note: total income, total fixed bills, and total extra sent to debt. They update it at the end of each month and stick it on the fridge.
• A person focused on health and money at the same time tracks how often they buy takeout vs. cook at home, noticing that cooking more often improves both their budget and their nutrition. For ideas on healthy eating on a budget, they use resources like the USDA’s MyPlate site: https://www.myplate.gov/

All of these are examples of tracking monthly expenses: 3 practical examples plus several smaller ones that show you don’t need a complicated system. You just need a way to see your behavior clearly.

How to choose the best example of tracking monthly expenses for you

By now, you’ve seen multiple examples of tracking monthly expenses: 3 practical examples in depth, plus a handful of smaller ideas. The next step is choosing what fits you.

Ask yourself:

• Do I like apps, or do I trust a spreadsheet more?
• Am I willing to type in every transaction, or do I need automation?
• Is my income steady, or up and down?
• Do I live alone, or do I need to coordinate with a partner or family?

If you’re overwhelmed, borrow just one piece from these real examples:

• From Jordan: log every transaction for 30 days in a simple spreadsheet.
• From Casey and Morgan: schedule a weekly 15-minute check-in, even if all you do is glance at your bank app together.
• From Alex: separate business and personal money if you earn any freelance or side gig income.

You don’t have to copy someone’s entire system. You can mix a spreadsheet for big-picture tracking with an app for day-to-day alerts. The point is not perfection. The point is awareness.

If you want more structure, many universities and non-profit organizations offer free budgeting and money management guides. For example, the University of California’s financial wellness program has practical tools and worksheets that work for non-students too: https://financialwellness.universityofcalifornia.edu/

FAQ: Real examples of tracking monthly expenses

Q: What are some simple examples of tracking monthly expenses for beginners?
A: Start with one account and one month. Download your bank statement, highlight every purchase, and group them into 5–7 categories (housing, food, transportation, debt, fun, other). That basic exercise is a powerful example of tracking monthly expenses and often reveals patterns you didn’t expect.

Q: What is an easy example of tracking monthly expenses without using an app?
A: Use a spreadsheet with columns for date, description, category, and amount. At the end of each week, copy transactions from your bank. Total each category at the end of the month. This mirrors Jordan’s system above and is one of the best examples of tracking monthly expenses if you prefer full control.

Q: Do I have to track every single purchase?
A: Not necessarily. Some people only track problem areas, like dining out or online shopping. Others track everything for 1–2 months, then relax into tracking just the categories that tend to get out of hand. The examples of tracking monthly expenses: 3 practical examples in this article show both detailed and lighter approaches.

Q: How often should I review my tracked expenses?
A: Weekly works well for most people. That’s enough time to see patterns, but not so long that problems snowball. A short weekly review, like the family’s “Money Sunday,” is a realistic example of tracking monthly expenses that keeps you informed without turning it into a part-time job.

Q: What if my tracked expenses look bad or I’m embarrassed by my numbers?
A: That feeling is very common. Try to treat your spending like data, not a personal judgment. The whole point of these real examples of tracking monthly expenses is to show that everyone has blind spots. Seeing the numbers is the first step to changing them.

The bottom line

You’ve now seen several examples of tracking monthly expenses: 3 practical examples in depth — a spreadsheet user, an app-based family, and a freelancer balancing business and personal money — plus a handful of smaller, everyday strategies.

Pick one example that feels realistic for your energy level and personality. Try it for 30 days. At the end of the month, don’t just ask, “Did I stick to the budget?” Ask, “What did I learn about myself?”

That’s where the real power of tracking monthly expenses lives: not in perfection, but in awareness and small, steady improvements.