Have you mastered how to use Excel dynamic array formulas? If not, you are in the right place. If you have, you can refresh your memory here.
The essence of dynamic array formulas lies in their ability to spill over, creating arrays automatically without the need for intricate manual input. This spilling characteristic is not confined to new functions but extends to many existing ones, adding a layer of versatility and power to your Excel toolkit.
Dynamic Array Functions like UNIQUE, SORT, FILTER, and SEQUENCE are just the tip of the iceberg, offering a glimpse into the potential of Excel dynamic arrays to streamline operations and foster creative solutions.
So, why limit dynamic array formulas to conventional uses?
In this article, we will show you how to use Excel dynamic array formulas to power your creativity and innovations in data analysis across fields.
Dynamic array formulas in Excel open a new world of possibilities for creative applications, particularly in data visualization and educational tools. Here are some creative but unconventional uses of Excel array formulas:
Application Area |
Description |
Functions Involved |
Data Visualization |
Enhances data presentation and visualization, enabling dynamic charts and tables that auto-update with data changes. |
SORTBY |
Educational Tools |
Used to create interactive educational tools and games, facilitating a dynamic learning experience with real-time data updates. |
SEQUENCE |
Games |
Employs dynamic arrays to introduce elements of randomness and unpredictability in-game mechanics within Excel. |
RANDARRAY |
Excel Features |
Enhances interaction with other Excel features like charts and PivotTables, although with some nuances in implementation. |
Various |
Dynamic array formulas in Excel offer a fascinating avenue for creative applications in art, design, and multimedia projects. They allow for advanced data manipulation and visualization, enabling artists and designers to create intricate patterns, dynamic art pieces, and interactive multimedia experiences.
Artists can leverage dynamic array functions like SORT, FILTER, and UNIQUE to create complex patterns and designs. For example, using the SORT function with a creative dataset can result in visually appealing arrangements that change dynamically with the dataset.
This capability can be particularly useful in generative art, where the artist sets rules for the artwork's creation, and the piece evolves as the underlying data changes.
Dynamic arrays can also be crucial in multimedia projects, especially those involving data visualization and interactive elements. For instance, a dynamic array could sort and filter real-time data feeds visualized in an interactive dashboard or infographic.
This real-time data processing and visualization capability can significantly enhance the user experience in multimedia applications, making the content more engaging and responsive.
By nesting dynamic array formulas, such as combining SORT and FILTER, designers and multimedia developers can create complex data manipulations for their projects. These nested formulas can sift through large datasets to present only the most relevant or aesthetically pleasing data, enhancing the artistic or informational value of the project.
Using named and spill ranges within dynamic array formulas provides additional flexibility, allowing for more sophisticated data manipulation and presentation. This can be particularly useful when integrating dynamic arrays with Excel features like charts and PivotTables or creating linked pictures that update dynamically with the underlying data.
Dynamic array formulas offer transformative potential in project management. They can enable more efficient project tracking and management and automate and enhance various project management tasks, such as scheduling, resource allocation, and status reporting.
Dynamic arrays can significantly improve project tracking by automating the creation of timelines, Gantt charts, and task lists. For instance, the SEQUENCE function can generate sequential dates, which are fundamental for creating project timelines and schedules.
Using dynamic arrays, project managers can create flexible and responsive project tracking tools that update automatically as project details change. This reduces the need for manual adjustments and increases the accuracy of project tracking.
Dynamic array formulas offer powerful tools for project managers to automate and enhance various project tracking and management aspects. By leveraging these formulas, managers can create more responsive and adaptable project management tools, improving project outcomes and efficiency.
Dynamic array concepts are crucial in teaching computer science, as arrays are foundational data structures widely used in programming. Educators can introduce arrays by highlighting their linear structure, where order matters, and contrasting them with linked lists to provide a deeper understanding.
Innovative teaching methods might include interactive coding exercises that allow students to manipulate arrays in real-time, enhancing their grasp of how data is stored and accessed in memory. Additionally, educators can delve into dynamic arrays, explaining how they expand automatically, a critical aspect in languages like Ruby.
Understanding these concepts can develop students' critical thinking skills, enabling them to make informed decisions about using data structures in their coding projects.
Dynamic array formulas can significantly enhance productivity, particularly in personal finance management and goal tracking. Here's how:
Application Area |
Description |
Personal Finance Management |
Use dynamic arrays to categorize expenses, calculate savings, and analyze investments, providing a clear view of financial health and aiding decision-making. |
Goal Tracking and Personal Development |
Employ dynamic arrays to monitor progress toward personal goals, analyze trends, and adjust strategies, enhancing motivation and focus on areas for improvement. |
In both cases, dynamic arrays' power lies in their ability to handle and dynamically update a large data set, making them invaluable tools for personal productivity and development.
Dynamic arrays can serve as a bridge between data analysis and creative thinking, fostering innovation in various fields:
Dynamic arrays in Excel can greatly enhance teamwork and collaboration in various settings:
Teams can foster a more dynamic and interactive work environment by integrating dynamic arrays with collaborative tools like shared workbooks in cloud services. This synergy boosts productivity and encourages a more engaged and cooperative team dynamic.
The future of dynamic array formulas is promising, with potential widespread applications across various industries. We can anticipate:
The potential impact on industries is profound. It offers enhanced analytical capabilities, streamlined processes, and the ability to harness larger datasets for actionable insights.
Crafting your dynamic array solutions allows for tailored data analysis and visualization, enhancing personal and professional tasks:
Creating custom dynamic array solutions can unlock new data handling and decision-making potentials, making processes more efficient and insightful.
Dynamic array formulas are not confined to the realm of data scientists; they're a versatile tool beneficial across various professions and industries:
The diverse use cases highlight the formula's adaptability and potential to streamline tasks, enhance analysis, and foster innovative solutions across different sectors.
Integrating dynamic array formulas with cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning can significantly enhance data analysis and decision-making processes. Here's how:
This integration promises to transform how we interact with data, making complex analyses more accessible and fostering new technological advancements.
The impact of dynamic array formulas spans various sectors, with users sharing how these tools are game-changers in their fields:
These insights underline the transformative potential of dynamic array formulas, emphasizing their value across a broad range of applications and industries.
Dynamic array formulas revolutionize data analysis and decision-making across various industries, from healthcare to finance. They offer a versatile toolset for managing and interpreting complex datasets, encouraging professionals to innovate and streamline their workflows.
Now that you understand their potential consider how you might apply dynamic arrays to your projects. Engage with the community for insights and tips, and start experimenting to unlock new possibilities in your data-driven endeavors.
Explore, innovate, and transform your approach to data with dynamic arrays.
» Master Dynamic Arrays in Excel: Unleash the Power of Spilling Formulas
» Mastering Excel Dynamic Arrays: Functions & Formulas
» Best 10 Microsoft Excel Formulas for Data Management
» 12 Most Used Excel Functions to Boost Productivity
» The Best Alternatives to Dynamic Array Functions
Let's explore Excel, where functions like SUM, SUBTOTAL, and CONCAT can revolutionize data handling. Imagine seamlessly summarizing rows of numbers with SUM, delving deep into your data with SUBTOTAL's versatile calculations, or merging information creatively with CONCAT.
But wait, there's more! Are you ready to take an interactive journey into the world of Excel? Let's explore these indispensable tools together and unlock new levels of efficiency and insight in your Excel adventures.
Here is our list of the most used Excel functions:
Let's dive in!
The SUM function in Excel is a fundamental tool that significantly enhances data analysis and productivity in various sectors, particularly in business and finance. This function allows users to quickly aggregate a series of numbers, cell references, ranges, arrays, constants, or the results of other formulas, providing a total sum.
It supports up to 255 arguments, making it versatile for diverse calculations.
In business and finance, the SUM function can be pivotal for calculating total sales, expenses, revenue, or any financial metric over a given period. For example, a business may use the SUM function to determine the total sales for the year's first six months or to sum up expenses in different categories to get an overall view of financial outflow.
Furthermore, using the ROUND function, the SUM function can be nested within other functions to perform more complex calculations, like rounding off the total sum to a specific number of decimal places. This ability to nest functions expands the utility of the SUM function, enabling intricate calculations within a single cell.
However, it's essential to be aware of some limitations and considerations when using the SUM function. For instance, the function will return an error if the range includes error values.
In such cases, combining SUM with the IFERROR function can help by substituting zero for any errors within the range, thus allowing the summation to proceed without interruption.
The SUBTOTAL function in Excel is a versatile tool that goes beyond simple addition, offering various calculations like sum, average, count, and more, depending on the function number you choose. It's particularly useful in scenarios like inventory management because it allows you to perform these calculations on filtered data, excluding hidden rows, which is a significant advantage when analyzing subsets of data.
For instance, if you have a list of inventory items with their quantities and prices, you can apply filters based on categories or time frames and use the SUBTOTAL function to calculate totals or averages only for the visible, filtered data. This capability is invaluable for getting quick insights into specific inventory segments without creating separate tables or lists.
The SUBTOTAL function has 1-11 and 101-111 numbers. The former includes hidden cells in its calculations, whereas the latter excludes them, providing flexibility based on your needs.
This dual functionality allows you to adapt the function to various scenarios, such as adjusting your inventory analysis based on visible data points or considering the entire dataset, including hidden rows.
In practice, you could use SUBTOTAL to calculate the total stock value of filtered items, the average price of visible products in a category, or count the number of items in stock within a specific range, adjusting dynamically as filters are applied or removed. This function is not just limited to summing; it can apply any of its 11 different calculations to your filtered inventory data, offering a comprehensive tool for data analysis within Excel.
The CONCAT function in Excel is designed for merging text from multiple cells or ranges, creating comprehensive data strings. It's a powerful tool introduced in Excel 2016 as an enhancement over the older CONCATENATE function.
The CONCAT function can handle a range of cells, not just individual cell references, which makes it more efficient for combining large data sets.
For example:
If you want to merge the first and last names from different cells with a space between them, you will use =CONCAT(A1, " ", B1). This function can also handle different delimiters, such as commas or line breaks, between the text elements you combine.
If you needed to add a comma and space between words, your formula might look like =CONCAT(A2, ", ", B2, ", ", C2).
One of CONCAT's key benefits is its ability to ignore empty cells automatically. This feature simplifies merging text from ranges that might have gaps.
However, it's essential to remember that CONCAT doesn't provide a built-in way to specify a delimiter for the combined values, unlike the TEXTJOIN function, which can be used when a common delimiter is needed.
In addition to text, CONCAT can be used to merge numerical values and dates, though it's crucial to use the TEXT function to maintain proper formatting for numbers and dates within the CONCAT formula. For instance, to merge text and a formatted date, you might use =CONCAT("The date is ", TEXT(A1,"mmmm d")).
In inventory management:
CONCAT can be incredibly useful for creating unique identifiers or detailed descriptions by combining information from multiple columns into one. For example, you could combine product codes, names, and specifications stored in separate columns into a single, detailed product description column.
The IF and IFS functions in Excel allow you to perform conditional operations. While the IF function tests a single condition, the IFS function can evaluate multiple conditions sequentially.
Here's a comparative table that outlines the key differences and uses of the IF and IFS functions in Excel:
Feature |
IF Function |
IFS Function |
Syntax |
=IF(condition, value_if_true, value_if_false) |
=IFS(test1, value_if_true1, test2, value_if_true2, ...) |
Purpose |
Tests a single condition and returns a value based on whether the condition is TRUE or FALSE. |
Tests multiple conditions sequentially and returns a value based on the first TRUE condition. |
Complexity |
Simple for single conditions, but nested IFs can become complex and hard to read. |
Simplifies handling multiple conditions without the need for nesting, making formulas easier to understand. |
Example Use Case |
=IF(age<18, "child", "adult") - Categorizes as "child" or "adult" based on age. |
=IFS(score<60, "Poor", score<=80, "Fair", score<=90, "Good", score<=100, "Excellent") - Categorizes scores based on ranges. |
Default Value Handling |
Not applicable since it only tests one condition. |
Doesn't have a built-in default value option, but you can add a TRUE condition at the end to serve as a default. |
Version Compatibility |
Available in all versions of Excel. |
Available in Excel 2016 and newer versions. |
The IF function is ideal when you have a single condition to test or when you want specific control over each logical test's outcomes. In contrast, the IFS function is more efficient and easier to read when you have multiple conditions to check, avoiding the complexity of nested IF statements.
Excel's VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP functions in Excel are designed for vertical and horizontal data retrieval. Here's a detailed breakdown of their functionalities and importance in data retrieval:
Feature |
VLOOKUP |
HLOOKUP |
Functionality |
Searches for a value in the first column of a table and returns a value in the same row from a specified column. |
Searches for a value in the first row of a table and returns a value in the same column from a specified row. |
Syntax |
=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup]) |
=HLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, row_index_num, [range_lookup]) |
Parameters |
- lookup_value: The value to search for. <br> - table_array: The range of cells that contains the data. <br> - col_index_num: The column number in the table to retrieve the value. <br> - [range_lookup]: Optional. TRUE for an approximate match or FALSE for an exact match. |
- lookup_value: The value to search for. <br> - table_array: The range of cells that contains the data. <br> - row_index_num: The row number in the table to retrieve the value. <br> - [range_lookup]: Optional. TRUE for an approximate match or FALSE for an exact match. |
Use Case |
It is ideal for searching down the first column of a table and retrieving data from a specified column in the row where the match is found. It is commonly used in handling large datasets where data is organized vertically. |
Best suited for scenarios where data is organized horizontally. It allows for searching across the top row of a table and retrieving data from a specified row. |
Importance in Data Retrieval |
It is vital for extracting specific information from large databases, performing data analysis, and automating tasks that require matching and retrieval from vertical datasets. |
This is essential for situations where the data layout is horizontal, enabling quick retrieval of related information from a specific row based on a horizontal lookup. |
VLOOKUP is widely used in various vertical lookup applications, especially when dealing with tabular data where specific information needs to be extracted based on a matching condition. HLOOKUP serves a similar purpose but is designed for horizontal data layouts, making it a crucial tool for retrieving information across rows.
Both functions are fundamental for data analysis, reconciliation tasks, and streamlining data manipulation processes in Excel.
Excel's COUNTIF and COUNTIFS functions in Excel are essential for conducting conditional counting in datasets, such as customer data analysis.
Here's an overview of how they work and how they can be applied in a practical context:
Application in Customer Data Analysis:
The functions AVERAGE, MEDIAN, and MODE in Excel are fundamental for statistical analysis, particularly in market research or sales data analysis. Here's a summarized table outlining their use cases:
Function |
Description |
Use Case in Market Research/Sales Data |
AVERAGE |
Calculates the mean, which is the sum of all values divided by the count of values. |
Understanding the average sales revenue over a period or the average price of products sold can provide insights into overall performance. |
MEDIAN |
Determines the middle value in a dataset when the values are sorted in ascending or descending order. If there are even observations, it calculates the average of the two middle numbers. |
Helpful in understanding the central tendency of data, especially when there are outliers, such as in customer income levels or sales transactions. |
MODE |
Identifies the most frequently occurring value in a dataset. There can be no mode, one mode, or multiple modes in a dataset. |
Useful in identifying the most common sales amount, the most popular product, or the most frequent customer feedback rating. |
For example, the AVERAGE function can help analyze average customer satisfaction scores in market research. The MEDIAN function is beneficial when you want to find the middle point in data, like the median sale price, which can provide insights without being skewed by extremely high or low values.
The MODE function can be crucial in identifying consumers' most common preferences or choices, such as their most preferred product features.
Excel's LEFT, RIGHT, and MID functions are powerful tools for manipulating text strings, which can be extremely useful in data cleaning and organization tasks. Here's a brief overview of how these functions can be applied:
These functions can be particularly useful in various scenarios, such as:
For example, in data cleaning, you might encounter a situation where you must extract just the first name from a full name. If the full name is in the format 'First Last', you could use the LEFT function and FIND to extract the first name.
Similarly, the MID function can be invaluable if you need to extract data consistently positioned in the middle of strings.
XLOOKUP is a powerful Excel function introduced as a more flexible and potent alternative to the older VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP functions. The XLOOKUP function searches a range or an array, and then returns the item corresponding to the first match it finds. If no match exists, then XLOOKUP can return the closest (approximate) match. *If omitted, XLOOKUP returns blank cells it finds in lookup_array.
Here's an overview of how XLOOKUP can enhance your data analysis tasks:
Here are a couple of practical examples where XLOOKUP can be particularly useful:
Various Excel functions can significantly enhance PivotTables in Excel, making complex data analysis simpler and more intuitive. Here are some ways to enhance PivotTables with Excel functions and examples of how they can simplify complex data analyses:
Excel's dynamic array functions, FILTER, SORT, and UNIQUE, offer powerful data segmentation and organization tools. Here's a brief overview of how these functions can be applied in practical scenarios:
Function |
Description |
Example |
Application |
FILTER |
Filters a range of data based on specified criteria. |
=FILTER(A3:C100, C3:C100="Math") |
Filter student data to show only math classes. |
SORT |
Sorts an array or range in ascending or descending order. |
=SORT(UNIQUE(C5:C14)) |
Sort a list of employee names alphabetically. |
UNIQUE |
Returns unique values from a specified range, removing duplicates. |
=UNIQUE(C5:C14) |
Extract a list of distinct employee names from a dataset. |
Combined (FILTER & SORT) |
Uses FILTER to specify the data to be displayed and SORT to arrange that data. |
=SORT(FILTER(A3:C100, C3:C100="Math"), 1, 1, FALSE) |
Filter student data for math classes and sort by student name in ascending order. |
Dynamic List with SORT & UNIQUE |
Creates a dynamic list that updates automatically when new data is added. |
=SORT(UNIQUE(Table1)) |
Create a dynamic, sorted list of unique values from an Excel table. |
These functions allow for advanced data manipulation in Excel, providing efficient ways to dynamically segment, sort, and extract unique values from your data.
In Excel, the IFERROR and ISERROR functions are pivotal for managing calculation errors, thereby maintaining data integrity. In its pure form, ISERROR just tests if the value is an error or not. It's available in all Excel versions. The IFERROR function is designed to suppress or disguise errors - when an error is found, it returns another value that you specify.
Here's an overview of how these functions work and their applications:
These functions are essential for maintaining data integrity and readability in practical applications, especially in large datasets where manual error checking is impractical. They are used in various scenarios, such as financial analysis, inventory management, and data validation processes, to ensure accurate and error-free results.
Mastering the IFERROR and ISERROR functions in Excel is crucial for anyone aiming to enhance their spreadsheet skills. These functions are key to managing errors efficiently, ensuring data integrity, and maintaining spreadsheet readability.
By incorporating IFERROR and ISERROR into your Excel toolkit, you can handle unexpected inputs gracefully and keep your data analysis processes robust and error-free. Now that you understand the importance of these functions, explore them further and boost your Excel proficiency.
Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, delving into these functions will elevate your spreadsheet game.
» How To Use Excel’s DATE Formula Function
» Excel Tutorial for Beginners: Tips You Need to Know
» How to Manage Your Finances With Microsoft Excel
» The Benefits of Microsoft Office for Students and Professionals
» Office 2021 for Home and Business Guide
If you're trying to sort by date in Microsoft Excel, and wondering how to do it, you’re in the right palace.
You’re not alone. Most Excel users rarely enter a date directly in Excel.
Excel sorts data based on the format you choose. So, to use the Date sorting feature properly, you'll need to understand how the DATE FUNCTION works in Microsoft Excel.
Whatever you type in excel, the app will convert into the proper format. If you use Excel's native date sorting functions, your Excel dates will be sorted in Excel's date order.
If your Excel data is not in an Excel standard column, it will default to the next best thing available.
So, let’s dive into sorting by dates in Excel.
Let’s discuss this process in detail below!
Excel dates are easy to sort manually, but Excel’s automatic date sorting often fails. On Excel for Windows and Excel for Mac, you can use the native sort by date function to get the dates in a column sorted properly.
You can also use Excel’s Sort & Filter tool to further manipulate how your dates are displayed, and get more information at a glance. Some Excel versions have a feature that allows you to sort multiple columns by date as well. Alternatively, you can use an Excel macro similar to Multi Column Sort.
Note: This guide is written using Excel 2019, however, the steps apply to various other versions including Excel for Mac, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, and Excel for Microsoft 365.
If you notice that your dates won’t change in order, or don’t have the option to sort them as dates, you might have them formatted as text. You can fix this by following the section below.
Is the sort by date function not working in Excel? Typically, Excel will only sort cells that are converted into a date format. In Excel 2007 and newer, Excel sorts by the data type, you have selected.
If the date sorting feature doesn't work, there's a possibility that your cells are formatted as text. Excel will not sort cells that are formatted as text, so you'll need to convert them into Excel's date format.
Date sorting is one of the most underrated features in Excel, but it’s worth understanding how to use. When you sort by date, you get a different view of your data and see what needs attention quickly.
If you’re having other issues with Excel, don't worry! Our Help Center has an article covering hundreds of issues and also provides tips on how to get the most out of the Office. For more information about all things tech, visit our Blog. We hope we can be of help!
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» How to Add a Trendline in Excel
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So, if you’re intimidated by the idea of using Microsoft Excel to manage your finances, you’re in the right place.
You will learn how to use Microsoft Excel to manage and save money.
Managing personal finances is a daunting prospect for most people. But having the right tools can help make it less challenging.
While most people use Excel to track their budgets, manually updating your budget spreadsheet every month is a time-consuming process.
But with the right knowledge of Excel, you can make the process a more seamless experience.
So, today, you’ll learn about how to use Excel to manage your finances to simplify your day-to-day money decisions. With this guide, you can stay on track with your longer-term financial goals.
Budgeting is a great way to keep track of your spending, income, and savings. This will ensure that you are on track with your finances and can meet future goals.
For example, I am saving to purchase my first home. Each day, the money I save makes a huge difference. Knowing where my income is coming from and where it's going gives me greater control over my financial decisions.
If you have more than one account for your income and expenses, it's important to track them separately. No matter how much detail you are expecting about your income or spending habits, having an Excel budget will help maintain control over your finances.
Use Microsoft Excel for your financial spreadsheets to access them anywhere with Office 365.
Your spending habits are logged so you can decide where to cut costs. Each month is different because there's more income coming in than out, but it's necessary to track in order to make better decisions.
Before you can begin creating your ultimate budgeting spreadsheet, you need to get access to Excel. If you don't own the application yet, check out our store and purchase Microsoft Excel. Alternatively, you can install Microsoft Excel from the Office 365 app store.
Setting up your workbook for finances is easy. First, list all of your bills on one side. Try adding as many monthly expenses as possible. You should also include the amount of money spent, and the date of the expense. It seems easy enough; just start with what I have done below:
Of course, you can expand this further by adding more details, such as the payment method, notes, and more. This is your spreadsheet, get creative and customize it for your needs!
If you want to keep things super simple, you can stop here. This is already a great budgeting sheet that lets you keep track of things with ease. However, you can take it several steps forward by implementing functions.
If you know how to use SUM, then it is easy to implement a cell for your total spendings, income, or savings.
The first step is to create a formula that will pull up the total amount of your bill from your list of bills on the left side. You can do this by using the SUM function, which is one of the basic features of Excel.
Here’s how to get the total working:
You can easily see which of your expenses are the highest, by simply sorting the spreadsheet. For example, maybe your cable television bill is higher than it really should be.
From there, you can get a sense of what you might need to do — whether that’s negotiating a better price on your package, or cutting the cord entirely.
I recommend adding some visual indicators to your budget workbook to make it easier to read and understand at a glance. For example, if a number is lower than zero (meaning you spent more on it than you had budgeted), add red borders around the cell where that number appears.
You can also create layouts by differentiating between your headers and entries. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, so I’ll show my personal shading as an example below:
You can replicate this look by utilizing the Font Color, Fill Color, and Borders in the ribbon's Home tab.
Additionally, you can change fonts and format text through the same tab as well.
It's hard to notice details when you're just looking at raw numbers, and that fear holds people back from actually taking action on their budgets - which is why Excel has graphs!
They make it so much easier for you to see trends over time with a visual representation and they show where your money goes too.
I have always been intimidated by spreadsheets full of rows upon rows or columns. Thanks to the charts found within Microsoft Excel, anything can be more easily understood as well as broken down into manageable pieces.
The charts and graphs in the program help you see exactly where all of your money is going, making it a lot easier for me to save up some dough!
At first, seeing that I spent $30 USD on various online subscriptions in a month doesn’t seem that alarming at first glance. After seeing how this amount looks in proportion to what
I spent on my groceries, I knew that it’s time to review what services I’m subscribed to. This simple pie chart saved me almost $20 USD every month.
Many people prefer to work with templates as they save an immense amount of time. But finding the right template for your needs can be a real nightmare. Here are 5 of the best finance tracking templates for Excel:
If you have never worked with an Excel spreadsheet before, then you will find this budget template incredibly easy to use. This workbook will help you see the cash flow in your life. Complete these three pages and then compare them to understand where all of your money is going!
The main page shows a snapshot of how much money came into, went out from and remained on hand at any given time over the course of one month. The next two pages are Monthly Income and Expenses.
You can update the pages according to what's coming in or being spent throughout this year.
Download the Simple monthly budget template here. (Free)
Do you share payment responsibilities with other people and find it difficult to keep track of who has paid what? Introduce the budgeting template into your lives so that all roommates are involved in this process.
The customizable spreadsheet shows how payments will be spread amongst everyone, which is great for adjusting responsibility as needed.
Do you know how it's difficult to keep track of your expenses when you have an irregular income? For example, if one person pays the hydro bill while another pays for groceries. Well, this is where a roommate payment template comes in!
The free customizable spreadsheet helps make sure everyone knows who paid what and there are no more disputes over who should pay next time because everything is clear on paper (and easy to access or update online).
Download the Household expense budget template here. (Free)
College is a lot of responsibility, and financial decisions can feel daunting. Thankfully this template has all the tools you need to make smarter financial choices!
The customizable graphs will allow you to visualize your spending habits at any time, while also giving an overview of how much money remains in your account each month.
Create multiple tabs for different types or goals so that it's easier for yourself when managing finances with schoolwork on top of everything else going on during college.
It'll be like having a personal assistant always right there, guiding you every step of the way.
Download the Monthly college budget template here. (Free)
This template is the perfect way to simplify your taxes. With a sophisticated design and tracking features, you'll be able to keep an eye on every expense that needs attention for tax purposes.
The sleek table design automatically updates as you make changes — just like other templates in this list! You can also add more rows with ease, or attach useful notes, dates, descriptions, and totals at any time of year.
At the bottom of each page, there's always a “Total” amount displayed so it's easy enough to make smart decisions about where your money goes before filing!
Download the Tax expense journal template here. (Free)
Keeping track of expenses and income is necessary for individuals, but it's also crucial to a business. This template lets you log in all the money that comes into your company as well as everything going out.
It has features that help with budgeting and forecasting — such as an easy-to-read bar graph on the first page, which breaks down how much was spent over a time period.
You'll be able to see how much has come in vs what was predicted, as well as seeing all expenses broken out into subcategories like personnel or operating costs. This way, no detail gets missed.
While logging information can often feel tedious, this intuitive template is designed specifically to keep things easy-going without compromising quality.
Download the Monthly company budget template here. (Free)
That’s it: You now know how to manage your finances with Microsoft Excel.
If you were having difficulties in managing your budget before, just follow this guide to track your spending.
Now, it’s your turn.
If you’d like to know more about Excel, visit our Help Center for more Excel topics.
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» Expense Record & Tracking Sheet Templates for Excel
» How to Calculate CAGR in Excel
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Have you ever tried to insert a PDF into Microsoft Excel, but failed to do it? We know — it's not easy, and it usually ends up in frustration.
With this article, you can learn how to do it easily!
We'll teach you how to create a new workbook in Excel for your PDF file so that it will show up as an object on the spreadsheet, and then we'll show you how to get the data from your PDF into cells of your spreadsheet.
You can even open a PDF file in Excel and begin editing its contents right away.
Sounds good? Let’s get started.
Portable Document Format (PDF) allows you to store, share and open documents without any changes in the data regardless of the program used. Thanks to Excel, it's now possible for users to organize their information by inserting a PDF file into an excel spreadsheet with ease.
Besides this capability, PDF files can also be extracted directly from that document so they are visible on your screen for use within other programs such as PowerPoint or Word.
We will walk through quick and simple steps on how to insert a PDF file into an Excel workbook either as an object or link using our guide below.
PDF has a lot of benefits for Excel. It's easy to view and share, so it'll stick around because everyone can read PDF files while they're still in the same formatting as when you originally created them.
The following are some situations where you would want to embed PDF into your Excel spreadsheet:
Embedding a PDF into an Excel document can seem challenging at first but is actually quite easy with these steps below!
The quickest way to insert PDF files into Excel sheets is via the software itself.
Open the Excel document that you wish to insert a PDF file into
Click 'Insert' > Object... > From File
Locate the PDF and click 'Ok'
Similar to the last step, have the Excel file open
This time, click 'Insert' > Picture > Picture from File...
Locate and double-click on the PDF you wish to insert into Excel
Voila! That's done. Inserting content from a PDF file into an Excel sheet could not get any easier than this.
Similarly, you can also choose other file formats, such as images to place inside your Excel files.
There are different other ways in which you can put a PDF file into Excel. Review your options and see what works for your unique needs.
The classic way of adding a PDF file into your Excel worksheet is by simply embedding it into the workbook itself.
This gives you easy access to anything included in the PDF and your workbook at the same time. You can even link data between the files.
To insert more PDF files into your spreadsheet, repeat the same process. Note that this method doesn’t only insert the first page of your PDF document.
Instead, it embeds the whole object, including multiple pages.
A file size constraint is a downside of embedding a PDF into the Excel worksheet to share with others.
The best way to avoid this problem and maintain high quality, without increasing the file size, is by linking directly from the source file.
By linking your workbook with the source PDF file, your workbook will essentially become a live report.
This means any changes made on either end of this equation are reflected in real time, so you can see exactly what is happening without having to constantly refer back and forth between them.
However, only do this if a backup of both Excel and the object type you're linking have been stored on one drive for safekeeping — you don't want something important being deleted!
Why not create a spreadsheet? It's easy to do.
The easiest way we recommend for inserting a PDF file into Excel 2013 is using these quick but straightforward steps. You can find them on TikTip, your one-stop shop for any Excel tips and tricks, even for older versions.
One major drawback of inserting the PDF file into an Excel spreadsheet is that it does not sort or filter with cells.
However, there are ways to make your newly embedded document fit in the cells without altering its content — here's how!
If you want to filter or hide cells inside your workbook, then a similar action will apply to the PDF file.
You can also insert a PDF into excel using a third party tool like Smallpdf. It even makes work with PDF easy, including the transfer of file formats, to and from this universal file.
Furthermore, their OCR technology can now help you convert PDF to an editable Excel file.
As such, you can now convert PDF to Excel files and merge your sheets together into one, to manage and edit them easily.
To do so:
Go to the PDF to Excel tool on our site
Drag and drop your PDF to convert to Excel
Download your file, upload to Google Drive or Dropbox, or even share via email
After inserting your PDF file into Excel, you can then review the image through these simple steps:
There’s a way to make your PDFs more searchable and easier to find. By default, Acrobat gives the PDF file you embed into an Excel spreadsheet generic document name such as "Adobe Acrobat Document".
Don't let this stop you from giving it a clever title, follow these steps!
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