An expense tracker in Google Sheets that sorts and totals itself

Short answer: Use a free Google Apps Script that puts each expense into a category from your own keyword rules and builds a table of totals by month and category. It runs in your own Google account; nothing is sent to us. Setup takes 5 steps: Make an Expenses tab; Write your rules; Paste the script; Sort and total; Read the totals.

How to set it up

1. Make an Expenses tab. Add a tab called Expenses with these columns from A to D: Date, Description, Amount, Category. Paste in rows from your bank or card export, or type them.
2. Write your rules. Add a tab called Rules with two columns: Keyword and Category, such as shell, Fuel and home depot, Materials. Capital letters don't matter.
3. Paste the script. Open Extensions, then Apps Script, paste in the code from our email, and save. Reload the sheet and a Expenses menu appears.
4. Sort and total. Choose Expenses, then Categorise and total, or Do it every night. A blank Category gets the first rule whose keyword is in the description; anything no rule matches is marked Review.
5. Read the totals. The Monthly totals tab shows one row per month with a column per category and a total. Categories you typed yourself are kept and counted.

Want this set up for your business? Free written scope in 20 minutes

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Good to know

• Rules are checked from the top, so put more specific keywords above general ones.
• Rows need a real date and a number in Amount to be counted in the totals.

Questions

What does this script do?

It is a free Google Apps Script that puts each expense into a category from your own keyword rules and builds a table of totals by month and category.

How do I set it up?

In 5 steps: 1. Make an Expenses tab; 2. Write your rules; 3. Paste the script; 4. Sort and total; 5. Read the totals. The full steps are on this page.

Is it free, and does it send my data anywhere?

It is free: enter your email on this page and we email you the script (Code.gs). It runs in your own Google account; nothing is sent to us.

Can you install it for me?

Yes. We set it up in your Google account in a short Connect session, connect it to your sheet and check that it runs.

Want it wired into QuickBooks, your CRM or your payment system? Send us a short brief.