Open the workbook free in Google Sheets, or use Microsoft Excel or most other spreadsheet apps. It does not require a Ground account.
What the spreadsheet calculates
Your account balance is not automatically your spending limit. Some of that money may already be needed for a bill, groceries, gas, a goal, or a payment that has not cleared.
Four simple sheets
- Start Here: three short setup steps and a worked example.
- Safe to Spend: the editable inputs and formula-driven result.
- Bill Calendar: bill amounts, due dates, payment accounts, and whether each bill is due before payday.
- Read Me: what the estimate includes, what it cannot know automatically, and where to get additional help.
How to use it
- Enter the money currently available and your next payday.
- Add bills, usual needs, protected goals, and pending payments that matter before that payday.
- Use the resulting Safe to Spend amount as a decision check, then update it when something changes.
The workbook is intentionally manual. It cannot see a transaction clear, notice a changed bill, or update itself when your balance moves. Check the inputs before relying on the result.
Why Ground made it free
The Safe to Spend idea should still be useful if you do not want another account, subscription, or connected bank. There is no email gate, no locked calculation, and no deliberately incomplete “preview” version.
Ground is the more convenient version when you want bank syncing, automatic transaction updates, reminders, an Android home-screen widget, purchase pauses, and Ask Ground.
Want the number to stay current?
Ground keeps your bills, payday timing, goals, and spending decisions together on Android or the web. Start with 14 days of Premium features, no credit card required, or continue with Ground Free.
Helpful official resources
This worksheet is an educational planning tool, not financial advice. It does not move money, verify balances, or guarantee that every expense has been included.