Question 1

How much does the spreadsheet cost?

Accepted Answer

Current pricing information can be found directly on the product page.    
Your Benefits:

This is a one-time purchase.
No monthly fees or hidden subscriptions.
All future bug fixes for the purchased version are included.

You can find a detailed price overview and the order form here: Price Overview & Ordering.

Question 2

Is this a one-time purchase or a subscription?

Accepted Answer

This is a one-time purchase. There are no recurring monthly fees or hidden costs. Once you download the file, it is yours to use forever.

Question 3

How do I make a payment?

Accepted Answer

Payment is made safely and securely via PayPal. Please note that using PayPal requires a free account at www.paypal.com. Once logged in, you can pay using your PayPal balance, linked bank account, or credit card.

Question 4

Can I change or cancel my order?

Accepted Answer

Because this is a digital product that is delivered automatically upon purchase, it is not possible to change or cancel your order once it has been placed. 
Please review your selection carefully at the checkout before finalizing the payment.

Question 5

When and how will I receive my order?

Accepted Answer

Immediately after your payment is processed (usually less than a minute), you will be redirected to an order confirmation screen containing your personal download link.
Additionally, a confirmation email with a link will be sent to your PayPal email address. This link is valid for 48 hours.

Question 6

What if I haven't received my download link?

Accepted Answer

You should receive an automated email with your link within minutes. If it hasn't arrived within 15 minutes:

Check your Junk/SPAM folder, as security settings may block the email.
Mark the email as "Not Junk" and add our address to your "Safe Senders" list.

If you still encounter issues, please contact me via the contact form or at 
. Please use your PayPal email address when contacting support so I can quickly verify your purchase.
I will be happy to send the spreadsheet directly to your email address.

Question 7

Is my financial data safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. Unlike budgeting apps, this spreadsheet works 100% offline. Your data stays on your own device and is never shared with third parties or stored on external servers. 
For added security, the file contains no macros.

Question 8

Does it work with Google Sheets?

Accepted Answer

Yes. While optimized for Microsoft Excel, the .xlsx format is fully compatible with Google Sheets. Simply upload the file to your Google Drive and start budgeting.

Question 9

Does this work on a Mac or a tablet?

Accepted Answer

The file is a standard .xlsx format. It works perfectly with Microsoft Excel on both Windows and Mac. 
You can also open it with Excel for iPad or mobile, though a desktop is recommended for the best setup experience.

Question 10

Can I use the spreadsheet on multiple devices?

Accepted Answer

Yes, definitely. You can save the file on your computer, a USB drive, or upload it to your private cloud (like OneDrive or Google Drive) to access it from different devices.
&#9888; Copyright Note: Under this personal license, you may use, copy, and customize the file as often as you like for your own personal use. 
However, sharing the file with others or commercial redistribution is strictly prohibited.

Question 11

Do I need advanced Excel skills to use the spreadsheet?

Accepted Answer

Not at all. The template is designed to be user-friendly. All complex formulas and bar graphs are automated. You only need to enter your basic income and expenses; the spreadsheet handles the rest. 
An 'introduction' guide is included to help you get started in minutes.

Question 12

Why are some cells protected, and why am I unable to enter data there?

Accepted Answer

This is to protect the spreadsheet's functionality. All cells containing complex formulas or formatting are locked to prevent them from being accidentally changed or deleted.    
Where you can enter data:

Monthly Sheets (Jan–Dec): Here you can enter your daily flexible expenses in the designated fields.
Main Sheet 'main' (Overview): You can type in any field that is marked with a red-dashed border.

&#9888; Important: Many locked fields will fill automatically with values as soon as you enter information into the red-dashed fields. This saves you time and ensures accuracy.

Question 13

How can I customize the categories? Do I need a password?

Accepted Answer

You can easily rename the categories for both 'Monthly fixed expenses' and 'Monthly variable expenses' to perfectly mirror your specific lifestyle and spending habits. 
No password is required.
How to change your categories:

All changes are made centrally in the 'main' (Overview) sheet.
Simply change the names in the red-dashed marked fields (e.g., under 'Monthly variable expenses').
Your changes will immediately and automatically update in all monthly sheets ('Jan' – 'Dec').

&#9888; Note: The monthly sheets are protected to keep the formulas safe. By using the central setup in the 'main' sheet, the spreadsheet remains user-friendly and functional.

Question 14

How should I enter numbers?

Accepted Answer

Just type numbers using your usual local separator (whether it's a point or a comma). 
Excel will interpret your input correctly according to your computer's settings and display it in the format of this sheet.

Question 15

How to change separators in Excel

Accepted Answer

If you want to manually change how Excel handles points and commas, follow these steps:

    Click on the 'File' tab in the top left corner.
    Select 'Options' at the very bottom.
    In the Excel Options window, go to the 'Advanced' tab.
    Scroll down to the 'Editing options' section.
    Uncheck the box 'Use system separators'.
    You can now manually set the Decimal separator (e.g., to a point .) and the Thousands separator (e.g., to a comma ,).
    Click 'OK' to apply the changes.

Question 16

Can I track credit, investment accounts, or fixed-term deposits?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The 'main' worksheet allows you to document various financial assets (funds, deposits, etc.) under the 'Monthly fixed expenses' category. 
You can specify:
Item Name: e.g., "Tech Fund" or "Fixed-Term Deposit".
Due Date: The maturity date or the 'Start date' for recurring payments.
Balance/Amount: The 'Amount' due on the maturity date or recurring dates.
Frequency (Rate): Choose how often the amount repeats:

"1" for a single one-time payment.
"2" for half-yearly (every 6 months).
"3" for three times a year (every 4 months).
"4" for quarterly payments.
"6" for every 2 months.
"12" for monthly tracking.

Question 17

Why do I see a reference error (#REF!) for the month of March or in the yearly overview?

Accepted Answer

This issue occasionally occurs exclusively on macOS. 
It is caused by system-specific language settings where Excel abbreviates March differently (e.g., Mär instead of Mrz), breaking the link to the protected worksheet.   
How to resolve this:

Excel Settings: Go to Excel Preferences, select the 'Calculation' ('Berechnung') tab, 
and check the box for 'Save external link values' ('Externe Verknüpfungswerte speichern'). 
Enable this option and restart the file.


Image: Recommended settings for macOS. Kindly provided by a user who discovered this solution while resolving a setup issue. Shared to help other Mac users.

Since the worksheets are protected to preserve formulas, you cannot rename them yourself. If the settings change doesn't fix the issue, please send me a message. 
I will personally send you a version of the file adjusted to your system settings.

Question 18

How do I start a new year? Do I need to purchase the spreadsheet again?

Accepted Answer

No, a new purchase is not required. You can use your template for every new year.   
It’s this simple:

Open the 'main' sheet (Overview).
Enter the new year in the top left corner (under 'Enter current year here!').
The spreadsheet will automatically adjust all calculations and periods for the new year.

Question 19

How do I contact you if my question isn’t answered here?

Accepted Answer

If you can't find the right answer here, feel free to contact me via this contact form or email me directly at: 
. I'll try my best to help you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Budget Planner

Purchase & Payment