Every Money Detective spreadsheet in one place, with its price, the pay cycles it works with and who it suits. They are all Microsoft Excel files, and you type your own figures into each one.
Written by Alex BPublished 10 November 2026
Money Detective is built around practical household money tools for Australians.
A budget template is a ready-made layout for your money. This page lists every spreadsheet Money Detective sells or gives away, so you can see what each one does before you click through. Every spreadsheet here is a Microsoft Excel workbook (.xlsx). You type your own figures in, nothing connects to your bank, and you open it on a computer with Excel.
If you have never budgeted before, Moneysmart's free online budget planner is a good first stop. It adds up what you earn and spend and shows what is left. It is run by the government, it is free, and you do not need to buy anything.
Where a pay-cycle spreadsheet can help on top of that is the timing. A monthly total does not tell you whether the money is there on the Thursday before payday. If your bills and your pay do not line up, a spreadsheet built around each pay can show you that gap.
Prices are one-off, in Australian dollars. Each product page has the full detail and example screenshots.
| Spreadsheet | Price | The question it answers | Pay cycles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payday Buffer | $16.95 | What does this pay need to cover before my next payday, and what may be left? | Weekly, fortnightly, 4-weekly, monthly |
| Fortnightly Budget Plus | $12.95 | How is my spending going compared with my budget? | Weekly, fortnightly, monthly |
| Free Fortnightly Budget | Free | What does each pay need to cover, and what is left on one simple dashboard? | Weekly, fortnightly, 4-weekly, monthly |
| Household Bill Tracker | $9.95 | When is each bill due, when does each contract end and what do my bills cost a month? | Bills are entered by how often they are billed |
| Debt Payoff & Savings Planner | $12.95 | When might I be debt free, using snowball or avalanche, for up to eight debts? | Month by month |
| Couples Budget Planner | $12.95 | How do we split shared costs fairly? | You enter shared costs and pay |
| Subscription Tracker | $9.95 | What subscriptions am I paying for, and when do they renew? | Renewal dates |
| The 3-Minute Budget | $6.95 | Where did my money go, in three broad groups? | Uses a bank statement you paste in |
| Complete Money Detective Toolkit | $39.95 | Six workbooks in one purchase | Depends on the workbook |
The Free Fortnightly Budget is free in exchange for your name and email, and you are signed up to the Money Detective newsletter when you download it. Each product page shows exactly what you get.
Most people choose the wrong spreadsheet because they pick by name instead of by problem. Try this instead.
Still not sure? The guide Which budget spreadsheet suits you? puts the main ones side by side, and How to budget fortnightly explains the method behind most of them.
People searching for a "budget template Australia" or "budget spreadsheet Australia" often end up with a generic file built for another country: monthly columns, American tax categories or a layout that assumes you are paid on the first of the month. Four things matter more than the design:
Energy Plan Check ($6.95) is an online tool, not a spreadsheet. It compares current electricity plans using your own bill and published plan data, for NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and Victoria. Western Australia and the Northern Territory are not covered by its data source. The Money Back Guide ($6.95) is a 35-page ebook of ways to keep more of your money, not a budget template.
This article provides general information only. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs, and it is not financial advice. Examples use invented figures. Money Detective's tools provide estimates and planning information. Consider your own circumstances, and seek independent advice if you need it, before making financial decisions.