Thanksgiving Travel and Hosting Budget Spreadsheet

Thanksgiving costs creep in from everywhere: gas or flights, a hotel, the dishes you bring, host gifts, meals on the road, a pet sitter. This workbook puts them in one place, so you can set a budget, see where it's going and settle up with whoever you're sharing costs with.

Start on Inputs with your travellers, the people at the meal and a budget for seven categories: travel, lodging, groceries, gifts, hosting and décor, eating out and other. Trip Planner compares driving with flying for your whole group (fuel, tolls, fares, bags both ways, airport parking, rental car) and prices the hotel with taxes. Log every purchase or booking as it happens, with who paid and whether it's paid or still pending (200 lines, with drop-downs). Annual Summary shows budget, spent, paid, pending and remaining per category with a status, cost per traveller, food cost per person at the meal, a comparison with last year, a monthly set-aside to fund next year, and who paid what against an equal share. The Dashboard shows the headline numbers with four charts.

Included: a worked example (a fictional family of four driving to relatives) and a blank copy (6 tabs, 581 formulas), plus a 4-page PDF guide in US Letter and A4. A Google Sheets copy is not offered.

General information, not financial advice.