Your spreadsheet is not wasted.
Move it in six steps.
Export to CSV, match four columns, check the formats, then import with a preview that writes nothing until you confirm.
Step 01. Export the sheet as CSV, not XLSX
Why
SmartJib reads CSV because it is the one spreadsheet format every tool exports identically. XLSX stores formulas and formatting that have no meaning in a budget.
Do it now
- In Excel: File → Save as → CSV UTF-8 (comma delimited).
- In Google Sheets: File → Download → Comma-separated values.
- Keep the original file — the import never writes back to it.
Step 02. Keep one header row and four columns
Why
The importer maps by header name. Extra notes columns are fine; merged cells and two header rows are not, because they shift every value by one row.
Do it now
- Delete merged cells and any totals row above the header.
- Make sure the columns are: date, amount, category, note (in any order).
- Delete empty spacer columns between them.
Step 03. Normalise amounts and dates
Why
A single "1.234,50" cell or an ambiguous 03/04 date can silently flip a month of spending. Checking the formats before import is faster than fixing it afterwards.
Do it now
- Amounts: plain numbers with a dot decimal — 1234.50, not 1 234,50.
- Dates: YYYY-MM-DD where possible, so no day/month swap can happen.
- Remove currency symbols and thousands separators from the amount column.
Step 04. Map categories to the ones you will keep
Why
Imports are a good moment to collapse fifteen ad-hoc categories into eight you can actually budget. The preview shows every unmatched value before saving.
Do it now
- Rename one-off categories (Snacks, Misc, Other) to their real category.
- Decide where savings and investments go — they are not expenses.
- Leave a category blank rather than inventing one; you can file it later.
Step 05. Import with the preview open
Why
The preview shows the first rows exactly as they will be stored, including the parsed date and amount. Nothing is written until you confirm.
Do it now
- Open Import in the workspace and choose the CSV.
- Check three rows: the earliest date, the largest amount, and one blank note.
- Fix anything wrong in the spreadsheet and re-upload — no partial import is kept.
Step 06. Reconcile the first month
Why
An import proves the rows arrived, not that they are complete. Comparing one month against your old sheet catches the rows that never made it.
Do it now
- Compare last month’s total spending in both tools.
- Check that fixed bills are marked as paid, not duplicated.
- Delete the old sheet only once two months agree.
Column mapping
Two sheets, seven columns. Only the first three are required; everything else can be left out and filled in later.
| Sheet | Column | Required | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transactions | date | Required | YYYY-MM-DD | 2026-10-03 |
| Transactions | amount | Required | Number, dot decimal | 420.00 |
| Transactions | category | Required | Text | Groceries |
| Transactions | note | Optional | Text | Weekly market |
| Transactions | place | Optional | bank | home | wallet | wallet |
| Budget | category | Optional | Text | Transport |
| Budget | monthly_limit | Optional | Number | 1200 |
Two things the importer will not do
- • It will not treat savings or investments as expenses. Transfers to a savings goal are filed as savings, because counting them as spending makes the month look worse than it was.
- • It will not guess a missing date. A row without a valid date is rejected in the preview with its line number, so you can fix the sheet instead of discovering a wrong month later.
Files are parsed in your browser during the preview; the rows are only written to your workspace after you confirm. See the six-step getting-started guide for what to do after the import.