Spreadsheet or app? How to choose where to track your expenses

Everyone who decides to get their finances in order hits the same fork: open a spreadsheet or download an app? Both options work. The difference is how much effort each one demands to keep working after the third month, and that is what decides whether expense tracking becomes a habit or a memory.

Where the spreadsheet wins

Total flexibility: you design the columns, formulas and charts your way.
Zero cost: Google Sheets and Excel are already installed everywhere.
Transparency: every number has a formula you can check and fix.
No sign-up: your data stays in a file only you can open.

If you enjoy tinkering with formulas and have the discipline to open the file every week, the spreadsheet is unbeatable. We even have a free budget spreadsheet template for anyone who prefers to start there.

Where the spreadsheet loses

The problem with the spreadsheet is never the spreadsheet. It is the logging. Entering a two-dollar coffee means opening the file on a computer, finding the right tab, typing the date and the category. On your phone, in the supermarket queue, that simply does not happen. And a spreadsheet with gaps is worth less than none at all, because it gives a false sense of control.

Credit cards make everything worse: installments, closing and due dates become fragile formulas that break on the first row inserted in the wrong place. And when more than one person needs to log, the shared spreadsheet becomes a battlefield of overwritten cells.

What an app needs to be worth the switch

Not every app solves the logging problem. Some are as complicated as the spreadsheet, only with a monthly subscription. Before choosing one, check that it:

Lets you log an expense in under ten seconds, on your phone, without five screens.
Truly understands credit cards: closing dates, due dates and installments spread across the right months.
Works for the whole household, with each person logging their own and everyone seeing the same dashboard.
Does not require linking your bank account. Importing a statement when you choose is safer than handing your bank password to a third party. We explain why in our privacy policy.
Shows a simple dashboard: what came in, what went out, what is left, and where it went.
Lets you export your data at any time, so you are never locked in.

Quick comparison

For most families the decision comes down to three questions:

How many people log expenses? Just one: spreadsheet or app, either works. Two or more: app, no doubt.
How many cards do you use? None or one: a spreadsheet copes. Two or more, with installments: app.
Where are you when you spend? In front of a computer: spreadsheet. Out and about with your phone: app.

An honest way to decide

Run the thirty-day test. Pick one of the two tools and log absolutely everything for a month. If on day 31 the tool is still up to date, it is the right one for you. If it has gaps, switch without guilt. The best expense tracking system is the one that still exists in March.

If you want to try the app side, My Money is free to start and was built precisely to pass that test: logging in seconds, cards with installments and one dashboard for the whole household. And if you would rather start with the spreadsheet, read how to build a family budget first to know which categories to create.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a spreadsheet and an app at the same time?

You can, but it rarely pays off: you end up logging twice or forgetting one of them. Pick one as the source of truth and use the other, at most, for one-off analysis.

Are finance apps safe?

It depends on what they ask for. An app that demands your bank password has access to far more than it needs. Prefer the ones that work with manual logging or statement import, and that let you delete your data whenever you want.

How much does a good expense tracking app cost?

The best ones have a free plan that is enough for one person and paid plans for families, usually the price of a coffee a week. My Money follows that model.