Co-parenting expense tracker: spreadsheet, template or app?

Updated October 12, 2026 · 3-minute read

When two homes share the costs of raising children, a simple tracker saves a lot of back-and-forth. There are three common ways to keep one: a spreadsheet, a printable template or an app. Each can work. Here is what a good tracker records and how the three compare, plus a free printable log you can use today.

What a good tracker records

• The date and what the expense was for
• The amount, and who paid
• The split you agreed on, and the other parent's share
• The date you asked for their share
• The date it was paid back, if it was
• The receipt

With those six things, you can answer the questions that come up most: what was spent, who paid, and what's still owed.

Option 1 · A spreadsheet

• Good: free, flexible, easy to add up.
• Harder: receipts live somewhere else, formulas break, and it's easy to forget to update on a phone.

If you use one, keep one row per expense, a column for each of the six things above, and a folder for receipt photos with matching file names.

Option 2 · A printable template

• Good: simple, no setup, easy to keep with paper receipts.
• Harder: you do the math by hand, and paper can get lost.

Free printable: Shared expense log
One page, US Letter. No email, no sign-up.

Download the free expense log (PDF, 1 page)

Option 3 · An app

• Good: the receipt photo, the math and the dates stay together in one place, and you can share a clean report.
• Harder: it usually costs money, and if the record lives on your phone, you need to back it up.
• Check first: whether it needs both parents to sign up, and whether it charges once or every month.

Which one fits you?

If you like working on a computer, a spreadsheet is fine. If you prefer paper and keep receipts in a folder, the printable log works. If you want everything on your phone with the math done for you, an app makes it easier to keep up. Whatever you choose, the habit matters more than the tool: log each expense the same day and note the date you asked.

Doing this in CustodyBook

• Log the expense, keep the receipt.
• Turn on "I asked my co-parent to pay their share" and the app keeps the date you asked.
• Reimbursement math to the cent, with the split you set.
• Mark an expense "Already reimbursed" when it's settled.
• Export a clean monthly PDF you can share with your lawyer.
• It's a private log for one parent: the other parent doesn't install anything or see it. Pay once. No monthly fee.

CustodyBook does not calculate child support. It adds up the shared expenses you log.

Free for 7 days, then $14.99 once. No subscription.