2027 Irregular-Income Budget Spreadsheet — Pay Yourself a Steady Salary (Excel & Google Sheets, CAD/USD)

Income that changes every month? This 2027 budget spreadsheet is built for freelancers, gig workers and commission earners. Your payments go into a buffer, and you pay yourself the same steady "salary" every month while the buffer allows — so a big month covers a slow one. By default, expenses you log also come out of that buffer (cash after bills). You can turn that off on the Setup tab if you would rather track expenses only against your budget.

WHAT'S INSIDE

• How to Use tab — short setup steps, including how to open the file in Excel or Google Sheets, and how the buffer treats expenses
• Dashboard — income vs expenses chart and buffer balance for all 12 months of 2027
• Setup — choose CAD or USD, your own tax set-aside % and savings % (the file starts with example defaults of 25% and 10% for you to change), monthly salary, and whether expenses reduce the buffer
• Steady Salary tab — shows salary paid, expenses, buffer balance and any shortfall each month
• Tax & Savings calculator — totals what you've set aside, plus a quick what-if box
• Income log and Expense log — 500 rows each, with dropdown categories you can rename on the Categories tab (including income types)
• Categories & baseline budget — 18 editable expense categories and a list of income types you can rename
• A blank copy for your own numbers and a filled-in SAMPLE copy so you can see it working

WHAT YOU RECEIVE

Instant download after checkout:

• 1 ZIP containing the blank Excel (.xlsx) file, a filled-in SAMPLE copy, and a PDF with plain instructions for opening the file in Google Sheets (File > Import > Upload) or Microsoft Excel

This is a digital download. Nothing will be shipped. The PDF is inside the ZIP, not a separate download.

WORKS WITH

Google Sheets (free Google account) and Microsoft Excel desktop. Mobile apps can view and edit, but a computer is easier for setup.

To open in Google Sheets: go to sheets.google.com, then File > Import > Upload and choose the .xlsx. Import it as a new spreadsheet.

PLEASE NOTE

• This is a budgeting tool, not tax or financial advice. The tax set-aside is a simple percentage you choose. Rules differ between Canada (CRA) and the US (IRS) — please confirm your taxes with an accountant.
• The CAD/USD option changes labels; it does not convert currencies.
• If a file will not open, contact the shop and I'll help.

How this was made: I designed this template myself — I chose the layout, features and categories and wrote the instructions. I used AI tools to help draft formulas/text and to speed up mockups, and I tested and edited everything by hand.