Free budget vs actual template
Budget vs actual worksheet
Review the exceptions and decide what needs to change.
Live worksheet preview
Review only the exceptions.
The sample month is already complete. Edit any budget or actual cell, or map a P&L export, and the flags update immediately.
Owner summary
August: Marketing finished $3,200 over budget; Cost of sales finished $2,500 over budget. Review whether each gap is timing, volume, price, or a lasting change, then assign one next action.
Download the 12-month workbook.
Get the Excel workbook with formulas, paste mapping, variance log, prompt, agenda, and checks. The same file imports into Google Sheets. Your preview values are not uploaded.
- Workbook with your current month
- Variance explanations and formulas
- Monthly review agenda
Preview the result or example included in this kit
August: August: Marketing finished $3,200 over budget; Cost of sales finished $2,500 over budget. Review whether each gap is timing, volume, price, or a lasting change, then assign one next action.
| Account | Budget | Actual | Variance | Variance % | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenuerevenue | -$6,000 | -4.8% | Within threshold | ||
| Cost of salesexpense | $2,500 | 5.8% | unfavorable | ||
| Payrollexpense | $750 | 2.1% | Within threshold | ||
| Marketingexpense | $3,200 | 40% | unfavorable | ||
| Rent and occupancyexpense | $0 | 0% | Within threshold | ||
| Softwareexpense | $900 | 21.4% | Within threshold | ||
| Other operating expenseexpense | -$400 | -5.6% | Within threshold |
Ask these three questions
Move from the gap to the decision.
- Is this timing, volume, price, or a lasting change?
- Who owns the next action, and by what date?
- What would need to be true to change next month’s plan?
How this tool works
Budget and actuals in. The two variances worth discussing, a plain-English owner summary, and three review questions out.
- Edit the sample month or paste a P&L export.
- Review live variance flags and the owner summary.
- Get the 12-month workbook and review kit.
The useful distinction
A variance report finds differences. A monthly review explains decisions.
Variance dollars show the size of a miss. Variance percent shows its scale relative to plan. Use both thresholds so a tiny account does not distract the room and a large-dollar miss does not hide behind a small percentage.
Treat favorable and unfavorable by account type. More revenue than budget is favorable; more expense than budget is unfavorable. The worksheet ranks the exceptions, then gives the owner three questions that turn the report into a decision log.
Questions owners ask
Budget variance analysis FAQ
How do you calculate budget versus actual variance?
Variance dollars equal actual minus budget. Variance percent equals that difference divided by the absolute budget amount. This template labels direction by account type so higher revenue and lower expense are favorable.
What variance should be investigated?
Set both a dollar threshold and a percentage threshold that fit your business. Review a line when it clears both thresholds, then prioritize the largest unfavorable items rather than reading every row.
Can I use this workbook in Google Sheets?
Yes. The downloadable Excel workbook uses standard formulas and can be imported into Google Sheets. Upload it to Drive, open it with Google Sheets, and choose Save as Google Sheets if you want a native copy.
Does Nerd Out receive my financial data?
No. The editable preview runs in your browser, and the personalized workbook contains your current browser values. A separately labeled reusable template contains sample data.