Most people think of Excel as something for accountants and analysts. But once you know a few basics, it becomes one of the most useful tools on your computer — for budgets, to-do lists, tracking anything, and more.

Here are six things you can do in Excel (or Google Sheets) that will actually come in handy.

1. A simple monthly budget

Create three columns: Category, Budgeted, Actual. List your expenses (rent, groceries, utilities, subscriptions, etc.) and fill in the numbers each month. Use a SUM formula at the bottom to total each column automatically.

This alone — a simple two-column comparison — can reveal a lot about where your money actually goes.

2. A running grocery or shopping list

A spreadsheet makes a great list because you can sort, filter, and reuse it. Add columns for item, quantity, store, and whether it's been purchased. Check items off with a simple "Y" in the last column. Next week, delete the Y's and you have a fresh list.

3. Tracking anything over time

Weight, exercise, sleep, medications, plant watering — if you want to track something over time and see trends, a spreadsheet is perfect. Each row is a date, each column is a value. In a few weeks you have real data you can actually learn from.

4. The SUM formula (and why it matters)

Instead of adding numbers manually, click a cell and type =SUM( then select a range of cells and close the parenthesis. Excel adds them all up instantly — and updates automatically when the numbers change.

This is the foundation. Once you're comfortable with SUM, you're ready for AVERAGE, COUNT, and eventually IF statements.

5. Sorting and filtering a list

If you have a list — products, contacts, tasks — Excel can sort it alphabetically or by value in seconds. Click any cell in the column you want to sort, then click the Sort button. Add a filter (Data → Filter) to show only rows that match certain criteria.

6. Simple charts

Select a range of data, click Insert → Chart, and Excel generates a visual automatically. Bar charts for comparisons, line charts for trends over time. You can customize colors, labels, and titles from there.

The best way to get comfortable with Excel is to start with something real — a budget you actually want to track, a list you actually need. If you'd like hands-on help, book a session and we'll work through it with your data.