Best Budget Worksheets to Make Saving Money Fun
Saving worksheet tools make budgeting fun and simple. Explore the best options to stay motivated and achieve your financial goals!
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As we enter the second year of our debt payoff journey, I’ve noticed that my husband is less enthusiastic than he had been before. I’m more invested than ever because we’re seeing progress, but he is seeing the long journey still ahead. I’ve been brainstorming ways to make this process more engaging, so you might as well benefit too.
One of the important steps in staying motivated is breaking down our long-term goals into short-term goals that feel more manageable. I’ve started using a personal budget and a free printable savings tracker to keep us on track. It’s been a huge help in showing where we can cut back on must-have spending.
This post includes a list of budget worksheets for adults, as well as for kids, teens, and even college students. Stick with me!
The most important way to make saving money fun
The first step to gamifying your money mindset is finding a supportive accountability partner. Making big changes in your life isn’t easy, and trying to do it alone can make everything even harder. In fact, it may be nearly impossible to pay off significant debt, save enough for retirement, or hit other major financial goals without the support of your spouse.
Having someone by your side can make a world of difference, whether you’re tackling credit card debt, paying off a mortgage, a car loan, or saving for a big goal. It could be a partner, friend, or family member, someone who can encourage you and keep you motivated along the way.
That’s not to discourage you from making changes on your own, but to recognize that the road ahead will likely be tough. Staying patient and persistent will pay off in the long run.
If you’re feeling alone on this journey, reach out to someone and ask them to be your accountability partner. Even if they’re in a different financial situation, just having someone to support you can help keep you on track. You can start by setting clear financial priorities and working together to improve your credit scores.
Beyond just support, having someone to compete with can make saving money a lot more fun. The competition can keep you motivated, especially when it comes to paying off debt. Try using interactive worksheets to track your progress—it’ll make the process feel more engaging. A free printable savings tracker can also help you stay on top of your savings while having fun along the way.

10 ways to make saving money fun
1. Set goals & rewards
Setting goals is one of the most important life skills, but do they teach that in high school?
If you’re not ready to dive into a full-fledged “challenge” or “game” to save money, simply setting goals and rewards can keep you motivated. You can use this financial goals planner to help you get started: Financial Goal Planner
Page 4 includes a monthly goal list with rewards. This is where you can break down your bigger goals into smaller, more manageable ones for the month ahead—and don’t forget to add a reward for reaching each one.
Just be sure your reward matches the goal. For example, paying off a $200 credit card balance doesn’t warrant a $500 reward. Instead, try taking $10 from your grocery budget and treating yourself to a bottle of wine.

2. Track your progress
Tracking your progress with a chart is a powerful way to stay motivated. A colorful, prominent reminder can be especially effective for visual learners, helping you stay engaged with your goals.
Tracking your spending and savings helps you stay aware of where you stand, allowing you to assess your position and decide whether to stay the course or make adjustments to your financial decisions. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and achieving financial security rarely happens by accident.
There are many free printable savings trackers available that can simplify the process. For example, Debt Free Charts offers a variety of printable charts that are free to download, along with paid options.

3. “No spend month” challenge
A month is long enough to save some serious cash, but not so long that it feels impossible.
A “no spend challenge” can easily be customized to meet your goals or lifestyle. Some options include just paying your bills, paying bills + buying groceries, or not buying clothing or toys. Choose what areas you think you can cut out of your budget for a month.
Read more about 30-day challenges & download a free tracker here. Use the mood boost of checking off another day on your tracker to keep you motivated.
We keep ours on the fridge, so both my husband and I see it multiple times a day. Since I’m home with the kids, it’s a near-constant reminder to watch my spending.


4. “No spend days” challenge
One easier way to make saving money fun is to limit your “no spend” challenges to just a few days. Challenge your partner to make every Saturday a “no spend” day, especially if you tend to spend more recklessly on the weekends.
You can choose the day of the week (or even days) that will make a difference in your pocket and in your habits.
Thinking “I can’t buy that today” should serve as a prompt for you to question your purchase. Pay attention to your spending impulses with the aim of overcoming harmful habits in the long run.

5. Loose change challenge
The trick is to make a game of who can collect the most change or cash in a certain amount of time, like a week or a month. Choose a cheap but meaningful reward for the winner and feel free to recruit additional competitors into the game.
The point of this challenge isn’t the money, but the whole mindset shift. Well, you’re not going to get rich from collecting couch change, but looking for new opportunities to make or save money is an eye-opener.

6. “First to save” challenge
Make the rules however you want, but the challenge involves setting a savings goal and some ground rules.
For example, a “first to save” challenge could involve saving $200 in a month by staying $200 under budget. You can see who can buy a week’s worth of groceries for the least amount and put the leftover money toward debt or savings. Or, you could challenge your partner to save $100 in a week or less; the first one to hit the goal by working side gigs wins.

7. Pantry challenge
Get creative and make a meal plan from your pantry. Just your pantry (and fridge and freezer), without grocery shopping.
Stretch your existing food supply as far as you can, to save even more.
Reducing your grocery spending is a great way to keep a little extra in your pocket. A lot of people tend to stock up, but they never actually deplete those supplies, which is pretty much wasting money.

8. $ per week food challenge
Take turns grocery shopping & meal planning for the week with your accountability partner, with the intention of keeping costs under a set amount. Start off easy, like $150 per week, and slowly decrease the amount you are “allowed” to spend on groceries as you both get better at stretching your food dollars.
Just because that new job is paying more doesn’t mean you need to eat more, haha. If you’re looking for cheap or easy meal ideas, Pinterest is a goldmine. You’ll find tons of budget-friendly options like hearty soups, casseroles, and filling pasta or rice dishes.
A simple way to save money is by using less meat. You don’t have to ditch it completely, but try using smaller amounts, like throwing a little chicken in a stir-fry or adding some ground beef to a veggie-packed chili. Think of it as an opportunity cost. I mean, using less meat frees up money you can spend on something else that matters more. It’s an easy way to stretch your meals and your budget.

Best free budget templates for adults
Finding the right budgeting template can make all the difference. Whether you’re looking for a free option or willing to invest in a premium template, there are plenty of great options available to help you stay on top of your money.
Google Sheets Budget Template (Free): Google Sheets has multiple free budget templates that you can easily customize to your needs. From simple monthly budgets to more detailed templates for tracking debts, savings, and goals, Google Sheets gives you flexibility with a clean, user-friendly design. And the best part? It syncs across all devices so you can access it anywhere.
EveryDollar Budget Template (Free, Basic): EveryDollar offers a free version of its budgeting tool, which is great for getting started. The tool is simple to use and good for tracking your monthly income and expenses. The template also allows you to set up savings goals and track progress over time.
The Balance Budgeting Template (Free): This free Excel template from The Balance is easy to use and helps you plan for both short-term and long-term financial goals. It includes sections for tracking expenses, income, and savings, as well as a portion for setting monthly budget targets.
Paid Options
Here’s paid options outside of those I have already mentioned earlier.
GoodBudget (Paid, App-Based): This is an envelope-based budgeting app that offers both a free and paid version. The free version is simple, but the paid version includes features like syncing across multiple devices, tracking multiple accounts, and more detailed reports on your spending and saving habits.
You may also check out these ones: Simplifi by Quicken (Paid, Subscription-Based),Dave Ramsey’s EveryDollar Premium (Paid, Subscription-Based), Tiller Money (Paid, Subscription-Based), and more. I’m pretty sure you could get a more detailed list of budget templates and financial trackers so you can keep your money spending on track.

9. Kids savings challenge
Teaching budgeting and financial literacy to young minds can be both engaging and educational. Thankfully, you can always use resources like a financial literacy bundle with colorful instructional posters to make concepts like spending and the difference between wants and needs easier to understand. Whether you’re introducing these ideas in a 1st-grade class or a 7th-grade setting, these tools can work for both whole class instruction and individual students.
For younger learners, an elementary economics unit on wants vs. needs helps clarify the difference between essential items and desires. Whole group activities are a great way to encourage critical thinking and hands-on learning about budgeting. These activities provide a fun, interactive way to instill financial literacy early on, whether teaching 3rd grade kids or higher.
Make saving fun for kids and teens by turning it into a friendly competition, too. Encourage them to find different ways to earn as much as they can. Whether it’s selling old toys, completing extra chores, or starting a small business like a lemonade stand, there are many opportunities for them to earn an extra dollar.
Why teach your kids about money and how to budget?
Teaching young learners about money early on can really shape how they handle finances as adults. It gives them a solid grasp of important financial concepts and sets them up for success later in life. When you show them how to use a simple budget template to track their earnings and savings, you’re helping them learn the basics of spending and managing savings accounts, two fundamental parts of financial literacy 101 for kids. If you don’t teach your loved ones how to handle money, there are plenty of credit cards and other debts out there just waiting to catch them off guard.
My goal for my kids is to empower them to feel confident and competent with money, not fearful or unprepared. Whether they’re tackling 1st grade math or engaging in a middle school social studies economics unit, the skills they build today will shape their future financial decisions. Tools like interactive notebooks and various helpful worksheets can make learning about money more engaging, helping them gain a solid understanding of emergency savings and even retirement savings as they grow.
Well, money isn’t the most important part of life, but it shouldn’t be a source of fear either. Knowledge is power, and teaching kids to manage money confidently will give them the foundation they need for a secure financial future.
Best kids budget worksheets
Budget worksheets for kids should be simple, colorful, and easy to understand, helping them get the hang of saving, spending, and budgeting.
- The Money Instructor kids budget worksheet (Free): This one’s perfect for introducing younger kids to the basics of budgeting. It’s super simple and helps them track their income, expenses, and savings. Plus, it introduces some elementary math skills along the way. You can download it for free on the Money Instructor website.
- KidzMoney budget worksheet (Free): Another great free option! This worksheet is designed for elementary-aged kids and helps them learn about money by breaking it down into categories like “spend,” “save,” and “share.” It’s colorful and engaging, making budgeting fun instead of a boring task. You can grab it for free on KidzMoney.
- The budgeting worksheet from The Teaching Resources (Cheap): If you’re looking for something a little more detailed, this worksheet is great for kids around ages 10-12. It helps them organize their income and expenses, giving them a more structured approach to budgeting. It’s super affordable and available on The Teaching Resources website.
Best Teens budget worksheets
Teens are ready for budgeting tools that go a little deeper, helping young students and even that the typical college student track income, expenses, and savings goals.
1.Mint budget worksheet (Free): Mint offers a free downloadable worksheet that’s perfect for teens. It helps them track income, expenses, and savings goals. It also has space to write down monthly bills, which is a great way for teens to start understanding how to manage their money long-term.
2. The “Teens and Money” budget worksheet from Practical Money Skills (Free): This free resource from Practical Money Skills is perfect for teens just starting to manage their own money. It walks them through income sources, expenses, and savings, and even includes a goal-setting section to keep them on track.
3. The budget worksheet from The Balance (Free): The Balance has a free budget worksheet for teens that breaks down income, expenses, and savings. It helps them understand both fixed and variable costs, so they get a full picture of how to manage their money responsibly.
4. Teens budget planner template from Etsy (Affordable, Premium): If you want something a little more stylish, Etsy has a bunch of affordable teen budget planners that are customizable with fun designs. These usually cost under $10 and include things like monthly budget breakdowns, savings goals, and expense tracking.
5. MyMoney.gov teen budget worksheet (Free): This free worksheet from MyMoney.gov is a solid option for older teens. It helps them break down their monthly income and expenses.
10. Annual savings challenge
There are many variations on the annual savings challenge. Choose a method that works for you and your budget.
Some plans involve saving $50 per week, which isn’t always possible. I definitely don’t have an extra $50/week to put into savings. If I found that money in my budget, it would absolutely go toward debt since we have a mini emergency fund already.
Start appreciating the value of one dollar—that’s the power you need to transform your finances. Saving even $1 per week is far better than adding $1 more to your debt.
You can add an extra $1 to the amount saved each week to accumulate almost $1400 over the year.
You can add an extra $5 to the amount saved each week. That will save nearly $7000 by the end of the year.
Save $20 a week to build your savings up to $1000 over the year.
Use this handy printable generator to customize your plan for the year. And this article includes a random savings number plan, a $5,000/year plan, and a $10,000/year plan with printables.

Great article, I never thought about this, never realised that saving money can be fun too
Great article, ideas and doubts got cleared thankk you.
Thanks for reading!