Sinking Funds Spreadsheet

We wanted to start by saying a big thank you for your purchase and supporting us as a small business. We have created this help desk and instruction guide to hopefully make your setup as quickly and easy as possible. In this guide we will take you through the setup of your spreadsheet, answer the most frequently asked question and share tips and tricks for using Google Sheets so you can make the most out of your spreadsheet. So without further ado, let’s have a better look at your spreadsheet!

Disclaimer

As mentioned in the Etsy listing description:

  • Google Sheets: This add-on can only be used on Google Sheets, it is not compatible with Excel. You will need a Google account (which is free) to access this spreadsheet. 

  • Copyright: this design and this spreadsheet is copyrighted by Haye Ameri/Haye Creatives (formerly known as BoMiMo Designs). Your purchase of this product is for personal use only and commercial/public use of any kind is strictly prohibited. It is prohibited to resell, share, reproduce this product or distribute this product, either in part or in full, with or without modifications.

  • Product: neither this product nor Haye Ameri/Haye Creatives are affiliated with Google Sheets.

  • Disclaimer: This spreadsheet is for informational use only. Haye Ameri/Haye Creatives cannot give any financial, tax or legal advice. Please do your own research and if needed contact a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions. Under no circumstances can or will Haye Ameri/Haye Creatives be held responsible for any costs, loss, damage or injuries (may it be direct or including without limitation indirect loss or damage) that result from the use of this spreadsheet.

  • Refunds: as this is an instant digital download all sales are final. We don’t accept returns, exchanges or order cancellations due to the nature of digital purchases.

Instructions

Before we start with the instructions of how to set up your spreadsheet and how the spreadsheet works it might be good to know that various sections/tabs of this spreadsheet have been protected. When trying to edit a protected field, row or column a warning will pop up. We have done this to avoid accidental formula changes that would alter the functions of the spreadsheet so you can use this spreadsheet worry free. If you have experience using Google Sheets you can click “Okay” so you can go ahead and make the changes. If you are new to Google Sheets or unfamiliar with the formulas we use we highly recommend not editing any of the protected fields so you can be sure that your spreadsheet will keep functioning as intended. Now without further ado, let’s start with setting up your spreadsheet!

FAQ & Troubleshooting

General

  • All our spreadsheets are created for and on Google Sheets. As Google Sheets is an online programme we cannot include a direct file that takes you to the spreadsheet, but instead you will need a link. For that reason the file included with your purchase is a PDF. The PDF will contain a link to your spreadsheet as well as a link to the instructions of the spreadsheet.

  • When you open the file be sure to open it with the Free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Opening it with a different programme (such as Preview on Apple devices) can sometimes cause issues which means that the link will not open.

  • Google Sheets is an online programme that is accessed through your internet browser or the app on mobile devices. As long as you are connected to the internet the spreadsheet will save automatically while you are using it. To access your spreadsheet in the future simply head to sheets.google.com to find an overview and access all your spreadsheets!

Using Google Sheets

  • Google Sheets is an online programme that is accessed through your internet browser or the app on mobile devices. As long as you are connected to the internet the spreadsheet will save automatically while you are using it. To access your spreadsheet in the future simply head to sheets.google.com to find an overview and access all your spreadsheets!

  • All our spreadsheets available in our store are specifically designed for Google Sheets and will not function properly on Excel or any other programme. While Google Sheets and Excel are similar programmes, they have large differences in their formulas and how formulas are set up. When a spreadsheet is exported to an Excel format the formulas won’t translate with it properly and the spreadsheet will not function as designed. For that reason we highly recommend not to export your spreadsheet and to only use the spreadsheet in Google Sheets.

  • We protect all the formulas in our spreadsheets with warnings so you can use the spreadsheet worry free. However, it can still be that you made a change that altered the function of the spreadsheet. Luckily Google allows you to go back to a previous version, even if you closed your browser tab. To go back to a version of your spreadsheet that worked simply click (in the top toolbar) “File” and then “Version History”. You can have a look at the different days and switch back to a version of the spreadsheet that worked as intended.

  • At this moment we don't accept any requests for customising spreadsheets, however, you are of course free to edit and make modifications to the spreadsheet yourself!

    We have added warnings to the spreadsheets that will prevent you from making changes to any formulas that would alter the function of the spreadsheet. However, the spreadsheet is not locked and you will be able to make any changes as you see fit!

Accessing & opening The Spreadsheet

  • When you click on the link in the PDF a page will open in your internet browser. In the top right corner you will see a button that says “Use Template”. After you click this button a personal copy of this spreadsheet, only accessible by you, should open within seconds.

    Unfortunately, Google Sheets can be a bit glitchy from time to time. If it does not open, or if it opens in a view only mode try the following:

    • View only mode: in the top toolbar, click “File” → “Make a copy”. This will create a copy of the spreadsheet that will provide you with full access. If that does not work try the troubleshooting options down below.

    • Open the spreadsheet from a computer or laptop: We have noticed that when trying to open the spreadsheet for the first time from a phone, tablet or similar devices that it does not always open. For that reason we recommend opening the spreadsheet from a computer or laptop for the first time.

    • Make sure there is enough space on your Google Drive: If your Google Drive is full, or near full, it will not allow you to enter the spreadsheets (it will show view only instead). You can check if you have enough space available by going to drive.google.com, in the left hand side menu you will be able to see how much storage you have left in your Google Drive.

    • Try a different browser: If you still have trouble accessing the spreadsheet make sure to check if your browser is up to date. If your browser is up to date and it is still not working then try a different browser.

    • Make sure you are logged into Google Sheets: The spreadsheet will not open if you are not logged in to your Google Sheets account or if you are trying to open the template in an incognito window. If your spreadsheet is not opening try the following:

      • Close all tabs and windows in which you tried to open the spreadsheet

      • Head to sheets.google.com

      • Log in with the Google account on which you would like to access the spreadsheet

      • Head to the PDF, click on the link and click “Use Template”. The spreadsheet should now open.

    If after you have tried all options above you are still experiencing issues be sure to reach out to us on Etsy so we can assist you further.

  • View only mode: in the top toolbar, click “File” → “Make a copy”. This will create a copy of the spreadsheet that will provide you with full access. If that does not work try the troubleshooting options down below.

    • Open the spreadsheet from a computer or laptop: We have noticed that when trying to open the spreadsheet for the first time from a phone, tablet or similar devices that it does not always open. For that reason we recommend opening the spreadsheet from a computer or laptop for the first time.

    • Make sure there is enough space on your Google Drive: If your Google Drive is full, or near full, it will not allow you to enter the spreadsheets (it will show view only instead). You can check if you have enough space available by going to drive.google.com, in the left hand side menu you will be able to see how much storage you have left in your Google Drive.

    • Try a different browser: If you still have trouble accessing the spreadsheet make sure to check if your browser is up to date. If your browser is up to date and it is still not working then try a different browser.

    • Make sure you are logged into Google Sheets: The spreadsheet will not open if you are not logged in to your Google Sheets account or if you are trying to open the template in an incognito window. If your spreadsheet is not opening try the following:

      • Close all tabs and windows in which you tried to open the spreadsheet

      • Head to sheets.google.com

      • Log in with the Google account on which you would like to access the spreadsheet

      • Head to the PDF, click on the link and click “Use Template”. The spreadsheet should now open.

    If after you have tried all options above you are still experiencing issues be sure to reach out to us on Etsy so we can assist you further.

  • It could happen that you made the purchase only to realize that you would like to access the spreadsheet with a different email address. Not to worry, our spreadsheets are not tied to the email address of your Etsy account. After you have made your purchase you can open it with any Google account, even if you already accessed it with a different Google Account.

    To access it with the right Google Account:

    • Head to sheets.google.com

    • Log in with the Google Account that you would like to use to access the spreadsheet

    • Head to the PDF, click the link and click “Use Template”

    • Your spreadsheet will now be linked to the right Google Account

  • If you would like to access the spreadsheet with multiple Google Accounts, for example because you would like to share your budget with your partner. Take the following steps:

    • In the top right corner of the spreadsheet you will see a big green “Share” button, click it.

    • In the bar that says “add people or groups” type in the email address of the person you would like to share the spreadsheet with

    • Pick what kind of access you would like to give the person you would like to add:

      • Viewer: the person can see the data in the spreadsheet but not make any changes

      • Editor: The person can view the spreadsheet and make changes

      • Owner: the person can view, edit, and has the option to now remove you from the spreadsheet

    • Click on the send button

  • While you will need an internet browser to edit your spreadsheet, Google Sheets has made it possible for you to edit and access your spreadsheet offline. You can find more information regarding using and editing your spreadsheet online on the Google Docs Help Platform here.

  • While we recommend opening the spreadsheet for the first time on your computer or laptop, there are no restrictions on which devices you can open or edit your spreadsheet. If you would like to access your spreadsheet on your tablet or phone we highly recommend downloading the Google Sheets app to make accessing the spreadsheets easier.

  • All our spreadsheets available in our store are specifically designed for Google Sheets and will not function properly on Excel or any other programme. While Google Sheets and Excel are similar programmes, they have large differences in their formulas and how formulas are set up. When a spreadsheet is exported to an Excel format the formulas won’t translate with it properly and the spreadsheet will not function as designed. For that reason we highly recommend not to export your spreadsheet and to only use the spreadsheet in Google Sheets.

  • Google Sheets is an online programme that is accessed through your internet browser or the app on mobile devices. As long as you are connected to the internet the spreadsheet will save automatically while you are using it. To access your spreadsheet in the future simply head to sheets.google.com to find an overview and access all your spreadsheets!

  • You can use this spreadsheet for as many months or years as you like! You can duplicate the month tab (instructions in the tips & tricks section above) for as many months as needed, all you have to do is adjust the year and the month on the top left corner of the budget tab!

Spreadsheet Related FAQs

  • You don’t have to enter your transactions in chronological order, the spreadsheet will read the date, amount and subcategory and will match it to the right month/paycheck. However, you might like to organise your transactions in the log tab to make it easier to read your own transactions. To organise your transactions in chronological order by date simply take the following steps:

    • Right click on the date column name “A”.

    • A menu will pop up, select “Sort Sheet A to Z”.

    • Your transactions will now be in chronological order!

  • Most of our budgets have a log tab that has space for ± 1000 transactions, however, it you have been using your budget for a while you might realise that you need more! Luckily you can add as many more as you need. We share in detail (with images) how to add more on our Google Sheets Tips Page!

  • The Google Sheets spreadsheets are standard set to have a mm/dd/yyyy date entry in every date field. While you can double click to select a date we know you might like to type in the date manually instead. If you are not from the USA and prefer to use a dd/mm/yyyy entry you can easily switch this! To do this (in the browser version of Google Sheets):

    • Click on File

    • Clicking on Settings

    • Change the country to your country of residence. If you live in the USA but prefer to use a dd/mm/yyyy entry pick a country outside of the USA (such as the UK) to change the date format entry.

    It might be good to know that this changes the way you can enter the days, it does not change the ways it shows the days! If you want to change this you can click on the fields for which you would like the format to change and click on Format > Number > Custom Date and Time. This will allow you to change it to any format you like!

  • If you are using one of our “+” spreadsheets or have purchased a sinking funds add-on for your budget you might be wondering how to withdraw money from the savings tab! Luckily this is quite easy, simply log a negative transaction, for example “-100”, this will withdraw the money from the savings tab and make it available again for the month/paycheck you have entered the transactions for!

    This money will now be available to be spend so make sure to enter the transaction on what you spent it on as well as a regular transaction. This way you will update your funds balance and still be able to keep track of what your money actually was spent on!

Change Log

The current spreadsheet version is: 4-231123

We always aim to improve our spreadsheet so we regularly make updates to include new functions or improve the already existing functions of the spreadsheet. For that reason we recommend checking out the change log for any updates so you can enjoy the newly updated version of the spreadsheet if available.

As of 26th of January 2023 you can find your spreadsheet version on the read me tab. If you cannot find a spreadsheet version or your spreadsheet has a different spreadsheet version then the current version above then you can access the most up to date version by simply clicking on the link in the PDF included with your purchase.

You can find a full change log of all updates made to the spreadsheet below.

UPDATES INCLUDED IN THE 4-231123 UPDATE

  • It is now possible to add an individual start and end date to each savings and sinking funds

  • The dashboard had a redesign. More information below each fund it now visible and you can now switch between balances and percentages to show “inside” the graph. In addition the total balance has been added below the graph for those on mobile devices.

UPDATES INCLUDED IN THE 4-310923 UPDATE

  • The dashboard has been updated to now be more flexible for ongoing funds. If no goal month has been set the months left will now show as “Ongoing”.

UPDATES INCLUDED IN THE 4-130323 UPDATE

  • You can now track up to 40 savings/sinking funds

  • The dashboard was redesigned for a new look

UPDATES INCLUDED IN THE 4-260123 UPDATE

  • The number format has been changed to include decimal separators (1,000 instead of 1000) in the log tab.

  • The left to save formula on the top right was adjusted as it was adding the start balance instead of subtracting it.

UPDATES MADE PRE VERSION 4-260123

  • 08.11.2022 - Savings section #5 on the savings tab was updated due to the “Left to save” formula not updating. The savings tab was updated due to the total balances in the graph showing the wrong amounts.

  • 04.11.2022 - The savings tab was replaced for a new and updated version of the savings tab that includes a graph for each savings/sinking fund!