Excel spread sheet help ?

[Northeast Puller]

Can any of you computer gurus folks on here give me easy step by step instruction?
I want to have a spread sheet that can multiple inventory unit price by the number of units to come up with a total dollar figure in the row to the right.Then I want to keep a column running total of price as I add rows of other inventory. I know you can format it if you know the right language to put in for the formatting. The online help just confuses me to know end.I would rather not go out and spend the money right now on the Excel for dummies book if I did not have too. Thanks any help you folks could provide.

 

[Steve in IN]

For the multiplying, put this into your result field

=a1*b1

This will go in the formula bar above your spreadsheet, to the right of the Fx. So you would select the cell you want the formula in then you would go click on the formula field above the spreadsheet and enter your formula.

a1 would be the unit price and b1 would be the quantity. If you put the result in cell c1, then in order to get a running total of c1 you would put the following formula into d2(the next line where you would want the summary)

=sum(c1,d1)

To propogate this down the spreadsheet, click on the fields you want to propogate and in the lower right corner of the highlighted area will be a little square. When your cursor moves from being a white plus sign to being a solid plus sign, simply drag the cursor down the number of rows you need.

Hope this is as clear as mud. Maybe a bit clearer.

 

[Howard H.]

Maybe I'm not reading it right, but if it were me summing the results column (C), I'd skip down to row 10 or so (depending on how many additional inventory items you wanted to insert), and enter =sum(c1:c9) to create the column total of inventory value.

Or you could just insert rows as needed. If the inserted row is inside the sum range (c1:c9) in this example, Excel will automatically update the forumula as you insert rows. (at least Excel 2007 will).

Howard

 

[Northeast Puller]

Thanks guys. I new some body would know. Thanks again. I am going to start on it now and give it a whirl.I will either have more question or will master it. I will post a follow to you.

 

[Tom in TN]

notheast puller,

I've used Lotus 1-2-3 and then Microsoft Excel for many years. Although Excel is very useful, I think that your best bet would be to find someone who knows how to use it, and ask them to spend one hour with you showing you the fundamentals.

Usually, when you take a formal class, they go way too deeply into the features and shortcuts that are in Excel and end up losing their students in detail.


I've never tried the "Dummies" book, so maybe it would be helpful. But honestly, in one hour, someone who knows how to use the application can show you all you need to know to do basic spreadsheets.

Good luck. If you'd like to take a little trip to Columbia, TN, I'd be glad to help you.

Tom in TN

 

[Anonymous-0]

Try this website for a step by step instruction on summing columns. Make sure when you add rows that you update the sum columns in the sum total box at the bottom. sum(A1:A16) would change to sum(A1:A17) if you added a row. You can sum columns or rows as you please.

www.contextures.com/xlFunctions01.html#AutoSum

 

[Anonymous-0]

Let me suggest something before you get all tied up over-thinking this problem. There's no reason you need to keep those totals on the right or at the bottom of the spreadsheet. She computer doesn't care, and it's a lot more convenient if you keep totals in the left column and on top. I like to keep an empty row and column between data cells and total cells because it is safer.

Like other guys said, the formula to multiply the number in one column by the number in another column is this: =c3*d3 and once you put the = sign in a cell you can point to c3, enter the asterisk in the cell, point to d3, press the enter key and you're done.

You can copy and paste your newly-created formula to the next cell, and the next, etc.

To get a total at the bottom of a column of numbers, select the sigma sign. It looks kind of like an E. Excel will ask you if you are sure. Answer yes by pressing enter again.

send me an email at
captgravity(ampersand)hotmail.com
and I will send you a small example. I do a lot of spreadsheets at work.

 

[Northeast Puller]

Thanks guy for all the help.I think I goter DUN.I have the sheet set just right thanks.I am at a cross road in life and in the process of buying a small mom and pop True value hardware store.I am unemployed and tired of working for big business and can not find a well paying job.So I am going to be self employed if all goes well with the bank.We need to inventory things that do not have a True Value IBM number on them for purchase of the inventory .For the sale of the business at closing. Thanks again for all of the help. It will be a long road but I think I can come out on top in the long run.