Six spreadsheet templates built for car buyers, lease shoppers, loan payoff trackers, and EV decision-makers — designed to pair with ProfitToolsLab automotive calculators so you know exactly what a car will cost over its lifetime, whether the dealer deal is actually good, and whether the EV math works for your specific situation.
The problem
The moment a salesperson asks "what's your monthly budget?" the negotiation is over — in their favor. Stretching a loan from 48 to 72 months on a $35,000 car costs you over $3,000 in extra interest and leaves you underwater for years. The negotiation worksheet in this pack keeps the conversation on out-the-door price, not the monthly number they want you focused on.
A low lease payment is not a good lease. Money factor (the lease equivalent of APR) is rarely disclosed upfront. Residual values are set by the manufacturer and can be inflated or deflated to make a lease look cheaper or more expensive than it is. Without a side-by-side cost comparison that accounts for total lease cost vs. total purchase cost, most people choose wrong without knowing it.
Manufacturer EV savings claims assume you're replacing a gas car that gets 22 MPG, charging at home at $0.12/kWh, and driving 15,000 miles/year. If your situation is different — older gas car, higher electricity rate, mostly highway driving — the break-even math changes significantly. The EV vs. Gas Savings template runs your real numbers, not the EPA composite estimate.
What's inside
Each template is a CSV file that opens in Google Sheets, Excel, Numbers, or any spreadsheet app. Pre-built formulas, realistic benchmarks, and clear column labels included.
Side-by-side 5-year cost model: lease path (monthly payment × term, residual vs. buyout, disposition fee, acquisition fee, total out-of-pocket) vs. purchase path (down payment, loan payments, ownership equity at year 5, resale value estimate). Inputs include money factor (convert to APR: money factor × 2,400), residual percentage, MSRP, capitalized cost, and mileage allowance. The output is one number: which option costs more over 5 years, and by how much. Most people who run this are surprised by which side wins.
Pairs with Lease vs. Buy Calculator & Car Payment CalculatorMonthly payment log, principal balance tracker, interest accumulator, and projected payoff date. Includes an extra-payment impact column: enter any additional principal payment and the sheet recalculates months saved and total interest avoided. Shows the running loan-to-value ratio against a simple depreciation curve — so you can see exactly when (or if) you're underwater and when you cross back into positive equity. Useful for anyone considering a trade-in, refinance, or early payoff and wanting to know the real break-even math.
Pairs with Car Payment Calculator & Car Affordability CalculatorEV purchase premium over comparable gas vehicle, annual fuel cost (gas car: miles/year ÷ MPG × fuel price), annual charging cost (miles/year ÷ EV efficiency × electricity rate), net annual savings, federal tax credit applied, break-even month calculation, and a 5-year and 10-year total cost of ownership comparison. Adjustable inputs: electricity rate, gas price, annual miles, charging mix (home vs. public), and gas car MPG. The break-even month changes dramatically with these variables — this template shows you your actual number, not the national average.
Pairs with EV Savings Calculator & Gas Cost Per Mile CalculatorAnnual estimated value log from purchase year through year 10, calculated depreciation rate per year (new cars lose ~20% in year 1, ~10% in years 2–5, flattens thereafter), running total depreciation in dollars, cost-per-mile driven (depreciation + financing ÷ miles), and a resale timing optimizer that flags when the depreciation curve is steepest (the worst time to sell) vs. flattest (the best). Includes a brand comparison column for buyers deciding between two vehicles with different depreciation profiles. A car that costs $3,000 less at purchase can easily cost $6,000 more in depreciation over 5 years — this spreadsheet shows that math.
Pairs with Car Depreciation Calculator & True Cost of Ownership CalculatorEvery real cost of vehicle ownership in one monthly view: loan or lease payment, insurance premium, fuel (based on actual fill-ups or estimated monthly miles), oil changes and scheduled maintenance (amortized monthly), registration and taxes (amortized), tires (amortized over expected life), unexpected repair reserve, and parking or tolls. Rolls up to a monthly total and a cost-per-mile figure. Most people underestimate their real monthly car cost by $200–$400 because they only count the payment. This spreadsheet counts everything — and it's usually a wake-up call about what the car actually costs.
Pairs with True Cost of Ownership Calculator & Gas Cost Per Mile CalculatorMSRP, invoice price, dealer holdback estimate (typically 2–3% of MSRP, paid by manufacturer to dealer after sale), target out-the-door (OTD) price, trade-in book value vs. dealer offer, counteroffer log with timestamps, doc fee and tax/title estimates, and a final deal scorecard. The OTD price column is the only number that matters — not the monthly payment, not the "discount off MSRP." Includes a dealer add-on tracker (gap insurance, fabric protection, paint sealant — most are pure margin and can be declined). Walk into the negotiation with this filled out and you're one of maybe 5% of buyers who know what the car actually costs the dealer.
Pairs with Car Payment Calculator & Car Affordability CalculatorHow to use it
Look up the invoice price on Edmunds or TrueCar before you step foot on the lot. Fill in the MSRP, invoice, and holdback estimate. Set your target OTD price — typically invoice minus holdback plus a reasonable dealer profit of $200–$800. Now you know your number. If the dealer is above it, you know by exactly how much. The worksheet turns a negotiation into a math problem with a specific solution rather than a pressure-based guessing game.
When the finance manager shows you the lease, ask for the money factor and residual percentage before agreeing to anything. Plug both into the Lease vs. Buy comparison template. If the lease money factor converts to an APR higher than what you'd get on a loan, the lease is overpriced on the financing side. If the residual is inflated, the lease payment looks low but the buyout at end of term is too high. The template gives you the full 5-year cost either way — you choose based on real numbers.
Open the True Cost of Driving sheet the month you drive off the lot. Add your insurance, fill-up history, and scheduled maintenance as they hit. At the end of year one, you'll know your actual cost-per-mile — and you'll have real data to decide whether to keep the car through year 5 or whether the total-cost math argues for a trade. This is the sheet that makes the Depreciation Log useful: when your cost-per-mile starts climbing, the depreciation curve tells you whether selling now or holding still makes more financial sense.
Automotive Profit Pack
CSV files that work in Google Sheets, Excel, Numbers, or LibreOffice. Open, fill in your numbers, and know what the car actually costs before you commit.
Got the templates? Now get a second set of eyes.
Fill in the Negotiation Worksheet or Lease vs. Buy Comparison with a real deal on the table, then bring it to a 15-minute call. We'll run through the numbers with you, check whether the OTD price is reasonable, flag any add-ons worth declining, and tell you whether the lease or loan math works in your favor — no pitch, just the numbers.
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Use these with the pack
Run your numbers live in the calculator, then log the results in the spreadsheets.
From the team at CareerKit Digital
CareerKit Digital builds job-search and career-acceleration tools — resume templates, interview prep kits, LinkedIn profile optimizers, and income negotiation guides — so you can increase what you earn and make bigger financial decisions from a stronger position. Free and premium resources available.