Mine is pretty basic. Across the columns at the top (with the letters, starting in cell B1), I put one month per cell, Jan - December. In the cell immediately below each month, I record the total income for that month.
In column A, starting in cell A3, I list my expense categories. Mine include house, car note, utilities, VISA (all charges that don't go in another category), auto/gas, cable/phone/internet, my son's name, debit/misc, medical, house, travel/tickets, groceries, work.
At the bottom of each monthly column, I have a sum total, and at the end of each expense category row, I have a sum total. So, I know all my income for the year, all my expenses for each month, and all my expenses in a particular category for the year.
I update it not every day, but probably once a week. This is where credit cards come in handy. I don't spend much cash, so I know exactly where my. money is going.
Under the sum total at the end of each column, I have a delta where I subtract the total spent from the income that month. My expenses/savings fluctuate. Some months it's positive, some it's negative, so I try to focus on the big picture for the year.
I have separate cells for one-time expenses like house insurance and property taxes, although you could put those in their respective cell in the month they are paid. I just pull them out because I like to easily see how they increase year over year. I also keep track of my Roth contribution (usually an annual lump sum) and any charitable contributions. And I have a cell for what I owe or get back from the IRS. This helps me when I go to do my taxes.
I also have separate cells where I total my travel expenses for a specific trip, just so I know what I spend. We typically take one "big" vacation and one "smaller" one, and I like to compare the two.
