How to Track Your Net Worth: Spreadsheet vs. App

Net worth is the single clearest measure of financial progress: everything you own minus everything you owe. Yet most people never track it, because their assets are scattered across accounts, currencies, and countries. Here is how to start — and how to choose between a spreadsheet and an app.

The formula

Net worth = total assets − total liabilities. Assets include cash, investments, retirement accounts, property, and crypto. Liabilities include mortgages, loans, and credit-card balances. The only trick for a global portfolio is converting everything into one currency before you add it up — otherwise the total is meaningless.

The spreadsheet approach

A spreadsheet is free, private, and completely flexible. The downsides: you maintain the exchange-rate maths yourself, there is no automatic trend chart, and it is easy to abandon after a month or two. A good template solves most of this — Kesoria offers a free multi-currency net-worth spreadsheet to get you started.

When an app wins

An app wins when you want your history and trend maintained automatically, currency conversion handled for you with live rates, and goal progress updated every time your balances change. The best fit depends on where you live: US-based users have strong bank-sync options, while people with money across currencies need a tracker built for consolidation.

Just start this month

The tool matters less than the habit. Pick one — spreadsheet or app — list every account, convert to one currency, and record the total. Do it again next month. The trend line is where the insight lives. This article is educational and not financial advice.