How do I create a new budget without losing past budgets?

Why did my past months’ budget data change?

Because this budget lives in Google Sheets, it works as a living document. That means when you update numbers, formulas, or categories, those changes apply to the sheet as a whole — including past months.

In short: the sheet always shows the most recent version, not a snapshot of what it looked like before.

Bear in mind, you can see your past actual spending by looking at the Annual Overview tab. 

Can I see what my budget looked like in a previous month?

Yes — but only if you use Version History.

Google Sheets automatically saves versions of your file over time. If you want to reference past data, you’ll need to open an earlier version of the sheet.

How to do that:

1. Click File

2. Select Version history

3. Choose See version history

4. Click on an earlier version to view or restore it

This is the only way to see past data once changes have been made.

How do I save past month's budgets going forward?

You can refer to the instructions in the Step 6 workbook and also this video to close out each month, name your saved version, then start the new month.

1. Name the current version of your Dashboard with the name of the month you just completed [File > Version History > Name current version].
2. Record your anticipated income on the Income Tab. 
3. If you have any new “Future Spending” expenses to start budgeting for, add them to the Future Spending tab.
4. Change the month on the top of the Monthly Budget tab. 
5. Revise your target percentages as needed. 
6. Clear your data from the “Adjusted” column.
7. Review and edit  your planned spending. Allocate your “Not Yet Budgeted” amount to the different categories in your Budget.