So I ventured off a bit (which I most certainly often do) and created a Christmas Spending Tracker!
I really love Excel Spreadsheets. I’ve been utilizing them for budgeting for years and have a Microsoft Office Specialist Certification.
While I was making my personal Christmas Spending Tracker this year, a lightbulb went off and I found myself asking “why don’t I make one for the website?” Ding!
So I did just that. I kept all of my original sheets from my personal Christmas Spending Tracker and added a couple (Like the Elf Ideas sheet) that I wish I had thought of when the girls were younger.
I’m a firm believer that a few minutes of utilizing useful organizational tools can save you an unlimited amount of time and money in the future.
All of that being said, let me go into some details regarding the Christmas Spending Tracker I am SO incredibly excited to share with you.
Christmas Spending Tracker – Master Tab
There’s a Master Tab where all the important data is easily accessible.
You have your total budget by category, your budget broken down into percentages so you can comparatively look at where the bulk of your money is going, a chart showing you what you’ve spent and have left to spend, and another chart that shows you what is left to spend by category.
This page will also alert you to how many days are left before Christmas.
If you need to quickly glance at something, this is where all the data will be.
Gift Tracker Tab
Here you can list each person you’re buying a gift for and gift ideas.
Enter your budget for that specific gift in the Budget for Gift column. Once you’ve purchased the gift, click on the “Purchased” checkbox under the Bought? column.
You then have columns for the actual gift purchased, from where, and what you spent on that gift.
Finally it’ll total all this up for you, show you how much is remaining in the budget and what your actual spend was.
Stocking Tracker Tab
Same idea as the Gift Tracking Tab in your Christmas Spending Tracker!
We’ve dedicated this one to stockings alone, as I’ve spent my fair share on stocking stuffers over the years.
Also, it’s easy to get confused as to what you’ve already bought and if you have an even amount for more than one child.
Supplies Tracker Tab
This time, you’re tracking what you’re spending on items like wrapping paper and tape. I use this also as a reminder for what supplies I need that I don’t already have.
Make sure you take inventory of what you may have leftover from last year before you start throwing dollars into this budget.
Simple Description, Planned to Spend, Store Purchased, and Actual Spending tracker.
Food Tracker Tab
Again, same idea!
Food budgets could get out of hand around Christmas, so let’s make sure you’re keeping tabs on what you’re spending on.
Don’t forget the food items that you’ll need for any gatherings around Christmas that aren’t actually on Christmas Day.
Travel Tracker Tab
Let’s keep track of how much your travel expenses are, as those are often forgotten.
Decor + Misc Tracker Tab
Here we will monitor your spending on miscellaneous expenses like home decor, school party contributions, Christmas cards, etc… Whatever you want that may not already have a category tied to it.
Gift Wrapping Tracker Tab
This is my favorite!
When you place an item into the Gift Tracking tab, it will automatically be transferred to this Gift Wrapping Tab as “unwrapped”.
When you’ve wrapped it and place it under the tree, simply go into this sheet and use the dropdown to move it from “Unwrapped” to “Wrapped” and watch it go green! Yay!
Elf Ideas Tab
I created this tab because I struggled with ideas every day.
I find it easier to sit down and list all of my ideas for every single day up until Christmas.
So I’ve given you a list of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas so you can get your master plan together for the elf.
Let’s knock this out so you can concentrate on what’s important this holiday season. I’ve also shared with you a few of my ideas to get you going.
Final Thoughts On The Christmas Spending Tracker
Creating this came out of nowhere. I had never thought I’d be someone creating spreadsheets that others could potentially use.
I spent days creating this and I hope you love it as much as I do!
I’d love any feedback you could give on the Tracker or any comments at all.
I will say that there is a tab at the beginning to “Read First” so you’ll know which cells are for you to enter and a little more of an explanation.
This ties in with my article on Things You Can Do Now to Not Overspend on Christmas.
Thanks for reading!
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