Blake Burge
Blake Burge

@blakeaburge

14 Tweets 3 reads Dec 03, 2022
79% of people wait until the last minute to do their holiday shopping.
Then they overspend.
So I decided to build a Gift Tracker & Budget in Google Sheets to help.
Here's how it works:
If you're like most people, I'm betting you can relate:
• You wait too long to buy
• Stress creeps in as time runs out
• This leads you to overspend on gifts
This template will help.
(Link at the end of this thread) đź‘€
Want to build it yourself?
Let's go through it:
Step 1: You'll need (3) Worksheets to start
• Dashboard
→ An overall snapshot
• Gift Tracker & Budget
→ Present List & Finances
• Christmas Card Tracker
→ Name, Address, & Status
We'll add a light green background for each.
Like this:
Step 2: Gift Tracker & Budget Setup
• Remove Gridlines
• Create Header Area
→ Page Title
→ Budget & Gift Items To Track
→ Insert Custom Image Over Cell
(You can pull these graphics from Canva)
See here:
Step 3: Gift Tracker & Budget Table
• Add a header row
• Add gridlines
• Format the 'Cost' column as currency
• Insert checkbox in 'Purchase Complete'
• Freeze up to Row 8
Shown below:
Step 4: Top-Level Formulas (1)
• Projected Spend
→=SUM(D9:D)
→Updates as costs are added to each gift
• Amount Spent So Far
→=SUMIF(H9:H,"=TRUE",D9:D)
→ Updates as checkboxes are ticked
• Balance Available To Spend
→=B3-D3
→Total budget minus total spent
Step 5: Top-Level Formulas (2)
• Gifts To Purchase
→=COUNTA(B9:B)
→Updates as gifts are added to the list
• Gifts Purchased So Far
→=COUNTIF(H9:H,TRUE)
→Updates as checkboxes are ticked
• Gifts Left To Purchase
→=F3-G3
→Gifts To Purchase minus Gifts Purchased
Step 6: Data Validation
Next, we'll add one more worksheet to serve as the home for our data validation lists.
Create columns for:
• Recipient
• Store
• Category
• Status
Like this:
Step 7: Tie Budget To Data Validation Lists
For each section listed above, take the following steps:
• Select entire column on the budget tab
• Go to 'Data' → 'Data Validation'
• Choose 'List from Range'
• Select corresponding column on data tab
Repeat for each:
Step 8: Card Tracker
Using the same principles as outlined above, we'll create our Christmas Card Tracker.
• Build a header row with graphics
• Add simple formulas to track cards sent
• Create a table & list:
→Name
→Address
→City, State, Zip & more.
Here's an example:
Step 9: Dashboard
Last, here's a look at the dashboard that'll give you an overview of your progress.
• Header & Graphics
→Insert images over cells
• Countdown Timer
→=DATEDIF(NOW(),I3,"MD")
• Total Spending & Purchases
→ See formulas in GIF
• 2 summary charts 👇🏻
Step 10: Template
I'm guessing it'll take you 2-3 hours to build this yourself.
If you'd rather save some time, take 2-3 minutes instead and grab your copy below.
I've created a library of Excel & Google sheets templates you can access here:
blakeburge.gumroad.com
Want more breakdowns on how I build templates like this?
Check out my newsletter.
It's free and you'll learn something new each week.
blakeburge.com
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed this thread:
1. Follow me @blakeaburge for more Excel and Google Sheets tips & templates.
2. RT the thread below to share with your audience and help everyone stay on track this Holiday Season!

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