How to Track Your Net Worth in a Spreadsheet
Add up what you own, subtract what you owe, and update it once a month. A simple Google Sheets setup, with live stock and crypto prices.
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Your net worth is one number that sums up your whole financial picture:
Net worth = everything you own − everything you owe
A budget shows where this month's money goes. Net worth shows whether all those months are adding up. Tracking it once a month is one of the most motivating money habits there is, because you can watch the number move even when a single month feels slow.
Step 1: List what you own (assets)
Write down every account and item with real value:
- Checking and savings accounts
- Retirement accounts
- Brokerage accounts, stocks and funds
- Crypto
- Your home, at a conservative estimate of what it would sell for
- Your car, at what it would sell for today, not what you paid
Leave out everyday belongings like furniture, clothes and electronics. They're hard to value and rarely sell for much. Keeping the list to things with a clear price makes the number more honest.
Step 2: List what you owe (liabilities)
- Mortgage balance
- Car loans
- Student loans
- Credit card balances
- Personal loans and buy-now-pay-later balances
Use the current balance, not the monthly payment.
Step 3: Build the sheet
Put one account per row and one month per column:
| Account | Jan | Feb | Mar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checking | 2,100 | 1,850 | 2,300 |
| Savings | 6,500 |
Questions
Should I include my home in my net worth?
Yes, at a conservative estimate of what it would sell for, with the mortgage balance as a liability. Some people also track a second total without the home, to see how their savings alone are growing.
How often should I update my net worth?
Once a month is enough. Daily or weekly updates mostly show market noise. Monthly shows the real trend.
Is a negative net worth bad?
Not on its own. It's normal with student loans or early in your career. What matters is whether it's rising month over month.
Does GOOGLEFINANCE work for crypto?
Yes, for major coins. Use a currency pair such as CURRENCY:BTCUSD for Bitcoin in US dollars. Prices can be delayed by up to 20 minutes.
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