What do farmers use when they do their taxes? A cow-culator.
Want to import your financial data into Cashflow Companion but don't have Excel or Numbers? No problem. Google Sheets is a free, web-based spreadsheet tool that makes it easy to create CSV files. Here's how to do it.
What You'll Need
- A Google account (free to create at accounts.google.com)
- A web browser
- Your financial data (income, expenses, account balances, etc.)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Open Google Sheets
Go to sheets.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Click the + Blank button to create a new spreadsheet.
2 Add Your Column Headers
In the first row, type your column headers. For example, if you're creating an income and expenses file, your headers would be:
title, amount, type, start_date, recurrence, every_x_days, snap_to_weekday
3 Enter Your Data
Starting in row 2, enter your data. Each row represents one item (one income source, one expense, one account, etc.). Make sure dates are in M/D/YYYY format (like 1/30/2026).
4 Download as CSV
When your data is ready:
- Click File in the menu bar
- Hover over Download
- Click Comma-separated values (.csv)
5 Save to iCloud or Files
The CSV file will download to your computer. To import it into Cashflow Companion on your iPhone, save it to iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or email it to yourself so you can access it from the Files app on your phone.
Example: Creating an Income & Expenses File
Here's what your Google Sheet might look like:
| title | amount | type | start_date | recurrence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | 5000 | Income | 1/30/2026 | Monthly |
| Rent | 1400 | Expense | 2/1/2026 | Monthly |
| Car Payment | 600 | Expense | 2/3/2026 | Monthly |
Tips for Success
Use the Templates
The easiest approach is to download one of our CSV templates, open it in Google Sheets, and replace the sample data with your own. This ensures your column headers are correct.
To open a CSV template in Google Sheets:
- Download the template to your computer
- Go to sheets.google.com
- Click File → Import
- Click the Upload tab and select your template file
- Choose "Replace spreadsheet" and click Import data
Date Formatting
Google Sheets might try to format your dates automatically. Make sure they end up in M/D/YYYY format (like 1/30/2026, not January 30, 2026). If needed, select the date column, click Format → Number → Custom date and time and choose the right format.
No Currency Symbols
Enter amounts as plain numbers without dollar signs or commas. Use 5000 instead of $5,000. Google Sheets might add currency formatting for display, but the CSV export will just include the number.
Check for Empty Rows
Before downloading, scroll to the bottom of your data and make sure there are no empty rows. Empty rows can sometimes cause import issues.
Getting the File to Your iPhone
After downloading the CSV to your computer, you need to get it to your iPhone. Here are a few options:
- iCloud Drive: Save the file to iCloud Drive on your Mac or PC. It will automatically appear in the Files app on your iPhone.
- Email: Email the file to yourself, then open the email on your iPhone and save the attachment to Files.
- Dropbox/Google Drive: Upload to your cloud storage, then access it through the Files app (you may need to enable the service in Files first).
- AirDrop: If you're on a Mac, AirDrop the file directly to your iPhone.
Ready to Import
Once your CSV file is accessible from the Files app on your iPhone, you're ready to import it into Cashflow Companion. See our complete guide on importing data from CSV files for detailed instructions on each import type.