Excel is your friend

So you've set a budget for your wedding...but along the way those $200 pair of shoes look so dreamy! It's easy for your once strict budget to fall by the wayside when you don't have a clear picture of what your budget looks like. I strongly suggest to start a budget spreadsheet early on in your planning process. We have our budget itemized and categorized down to every minute detail. If there's something missing that we've left out, we account for it, then adjust our numbers to accommodate it. If something ends up costing more than what we've budgeted for, we adjust. If I'm tempted to pay more than what we've allocated, I take a look at our spreadsheet to see where we would need to cut to make it work, or if I just have to turn a blind to temptation!

There are a few free wedding budget spreadsheets out there, including one on The Knot, but there were a few things left out or items we didn't really need. So, I decided to make our own with items that pertained to us. I made the following spreadsheet with Excel :

Next to each item is how much we budgeted, followed by how much we actually spent, and then the difference.

Each column ends with the total. Once I make any changes to a cell, the difference and/or total sum automatically changes to reflect the new sum.

If you've never used Excel before, it can be pretty intimidating. But just remember, each cell is assigned a code such as A3 or B21. You can figure out what each cell is as if you're reading an XY chart.

If you're still following me, all you need to know is these two formulas:
Subtraction between two cells:  
=(Cell1- Cell2)

Ex. =A1 - B1

The sum of a column or two cells:

=SUM(Cell1:Cell2)

Ex.

=SUM(C4:C95)

That's it! Just type your formula into the cell you want and you have own customized budget spreadsheet!