Ghar Kharch Ka Hisab: Track Household Expenses in India

Every Indian household keeps a hisab somehow: a diary on the fridge, a WhatsApp note, or someone's very good memory. The trouble starts when several people pay for things, UPI makes spending invisible, and a festival or a wedding arrives on top of the monthly bills. This guide shows a simple way to keep the ghar kharch ka hisab (घर खर्च का हिसाब) that actually lasts.

What to track every month

Group your ghar kharch into a few categories, so you can see where the money goes at a glance:

Housing: rent or home loan EMI, society maintenance.
Ration and groceries: monthly ration, milk, sabzi and fruit.
Utilities: electricity (bijli), gas cylinder or piped gas, water, internet, mobile recharge, DTH or OTT.
Help at home: maid, cook, driver or car cleaner.
Children: school fees, tuition, transport, books.
Transport: petrol, auto and cab rides, metro cards.
Health: medicines, doctor visits, insurance premiums.
Festivals and functions: Diwali, Eid, Christmas, weddings, gifts.
Everything else: eating out, shopping, repairs.

Step 1: Set a monthly budget per category

Look at the last two or three months of bank and UPI statements and write down what you actually spent per category. That is your starting budget. Most UPI apps show monthly spending, which makes this much quicker than it used to be.

Step 2: Write down every expense, the same day

The method matters less than the habit. A diary works, a spreadsheet works, an app works. What fails is writing everything down at the end of the month from memory.

Notebook (hisab ki diary): simple, but nobody else in the family can see it.
Excel or Google Sheets: our free family expense tracker template has categories, budgets and "spent vs left" built in.
An app the whole family uses: everyone logs their own expenses from their phone. Traxpend for families does this, with alerts at 80 percent of a budget.

Step 3: Plan for festivals before they arrive

Festival and wedding spending is where most household budgets break. Treat it as a monthly bill: if Diwali usually costs 25,000, set aside about 2,100 a month for twelve months in a separate savings goal. When Diwali comes, the money is already there.

Step 4: Split fairly in a joint family

In a joint or multigenerational family, several earners usually contribute. Common ways to share:

Fixed monthly contribution: each earner puts in an agreed amount.
By share of income: each earner pays the same percentage of their pay.
By who uses what: shared costs equally, each family's own costs separately.

Whatever you choose, record who paid for what. At month end, compare what each person paid with their agreed share, and settle the difference with one UPI payment each. Read more in Traxpend for joint families.

Step 5: Review once a month

Spend fifteen minutes on the first Sunday of the month:

1. Which categories went over budget, and why?

2. Are any subscriptions or recharges no longer needed?

3. Is the festival fund on track?

4. Does anyone owe anyone?

Common mistakes

Not counting small UPI payments. Chai, auto rides and quick commerce add up fast.
Only one person knowing the numbers. If the person who keeps the hisab is away, nobody knows where things stand.
Mixing personal and household spending. Keep personal shopping out of the ghar kharch.

Frequently asked questions

घर खर्च का हिसाब कैसे रखें? (How do I keep track of household expenses?)

Divide spending into categories, set a monthly budget for each, write down every expense the same day, and review once a month.

Which app is best for ghar kharch ka hisab?

Any app the whole family will actually use. Traxpend is free for up to five family members, is available in Hindi and ten other languages, and settles up with UPI.

Is there a free household expense template in Excel?

Yes. Our family expense tracker template works in Excel and Google Sheets, with budgets and balances already set up.