Syntax or pattern
Track planned vs actual spending by category and month.
=SUMIFS(Transactions!D:D, Transactions!B:B, A2, Transactions!C:C, B$1)5 practical examples
Build a task summary
Count open tasks for a tracker summary.
=COUNTIFS(Tasks!D:D, "Open")Adjust the ranges, criteria and sheet names to match your workbook.
Create a completion rate
Calculate the share of checked items.
=COUNTIF(B2:B100, TRUE)/COUNTA(B2:B100)Adjust the ranges, criteria and sheet names to match your workbook.
Show overdue items
List overdue unfinished tasks.
=FILTER(A2:E, D2:D<TODAY(), E2:E<>"Done")Adjust the ranges, criteria and sheet names to match your workbook.
Summarize by status
Create a status count table for a dashboard.
=QUERY(A1:E, "select E, count(E) group by E", 1)Adjust the ranges, criteria and sheet names to match your workbook.
Create a small trend chart
Display a monthly trend inside one cell.
=SPARKLINE(B2:M2)Adjust the ranges, criteria and sheet names to match your workbook.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Building dashboard formulas directly on messy raw data.
- Not separating inputs, calculations and outputs.
- Forgetting to protect formula ranges from manual edits.
FAQ
What is this Google Sheets page for?
This page gives copy-ready examples for budget tracker examples so you can understand the pattern and adapt it to real spreadsheet work.
Can I copy these formulas directly?
Yes. Use the copy buttons, then adjust sheet names, ranges, criteria and column references for your own file.
Why does my formula return an error?
The most common causes are mismatched ranges, missing quotes around text criteria, blank source data, or references that do not match your sheet layout.