Holiday Gift Budget Planner, Excel Spreadsheet in CAD

One total budget for the season, with every gift tracked against it.

Set the total you are willing to spend on Budget Setup, then list every person and gift with a planned cost. As gifts get bought, record the actual cost and update the status. The planner keeps a running view of what you have spent, what is left, and where the season is likely to finish. White cells are yours to fill in. Blue cells calculate on their own.

The summary works per person as well as overall. Type each name once on Person Summary and the sheet adds up planned and actual totals for that person, counts their gifts, and flags anyone who passes the per person guide you set. Cards, wrap, postage, and shipping get their own sheet, because those costs are real and they belong inside the season total, not outside it.

What is inside

• Cover: a short start page that explains the planner and the order to use it in.
• Budget Setup: your total gift budget, a per person guide, the holiday date, and an extras budget.
• Gift List: room for 40 gifts, each with a person, gift idea, store or site, planned cost, actual cost, and a status.
• Person Summary: planned and actual totals for up to 20 people, pulled straight from the Gift List, with a count of each person's gifts and a flag when someone passes the per person guide.
• Extras: cards, wrap, postage, and shipping, each with planned and actual costs.
• Season Summary: total spent so far, amount remaining against your budget, and a projected finish that adds gifts not yet bought at their planned cost, with an over budget flag.
• Guide: a one page PDF that explains how to set the budget, build the list, and read the summary.

Who it is for

Anyone who buys gifts for a family or a wide circle and wants the whole season visible in one file. It suits parents, grandparents, and anyone who has ever reached the last week before the holiday with no clear idea of what the season has cost so far.

How it works

1. Download the spreadsheet and the guide after checkout, then open the spreadsheet in Excel.
2. Start on Budget Setup with your total, then build your list on Gift List and record actual costs and statuses as you buy.
3. Read Season Summary for what is left and where the season is likely to finish, and Person Summary to see each person at a glance.

What you need

Microsoft Excel, where the built in formulas work as designed. The file can also be imported into Google Sheets if you prefer to work there. No account, subscription, or bank connection is involved.

FAQ

How many gifts can I plan?

The Gift List holds 40 gifts, and Person Summary covers 20 people. That is more than most households need for one season.

What does projected finish mean?

It takes what you have already spent, adds the planned cost of every gift still marked Idea or Ordered, and adds the planned extras you have not spent yet. If that figure passes your total budget plus extras budget, Season Summary flags it while there is still time to adjust.

Can I reuse it next year?

Yes. Save a copy of the file for each season, clear the white entry cells, and your formulas stay in the blue cells.

Does it track anything on its own?

No. It never connects to a bank, a store, or an account. Every number in the file is one you typed.

How do I get the files?

Both files, the Excel spreadsheet and the PDF guide, are delivered as downloads after checkout. There is nothing to ship.

Please note

This is a planning tool only, not financial advice. It does not include tax advice, investment advice, or debt advice, and it makes no promise about income, savings, or results. Prices you record are your own records, not live store prices.