Weird Excel experience: I just set up an Excel spread sheet to track a savings account. I have a column for deposits/withdrawals and a column for balance. I tried to do the =sum...

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I just set up an Excel spread sheet to track a savings account. I have a column for deposits/withdrawals and a column for balance. I tried to do the =sum forumula to automatically calculate the balance, but when I put in a $300 deposit it added it as $3000. This is not the 365 version. Any ideas?

BebuLamar

Well you don't want us to see the spreadsheet but without seeing it it's hard to know what is wrong. I guess the sum cell is at the bottom. Are all entries in the column correct?

SteveR Loc: Michigan

BebuLamar wrote:

Well you don't want us to see the spreadsheet but without seeing it it's hard to know what is wrong. I guess the sum cell is at the bottom. Are all entries in the column correct?

All the entries are correct and I used =sum(b2+c3) Column 3 was the deposit, column 2 was the running total.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Reboot and try again?

Triple G

Shouldn't columnB be your deposit/withdrawal and columnC be the ending balance?

A total sum of all of columnB will be your net addition. The amount in ColumnC to have an ending balance should be the previous ending balance C column cell + the new entry in the B column cell. =c2+ b3. If you copy the formula down the column, be sure it's picking up the correct row.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Triple G wrote:

Shouldn't columnB be your deposit/withdrawal and columnC be the ending balance?

A total sum of all of columnB will be your net addition. The amount in ColumnC to have an ending balance should be the previous ending balance C column cell + the new entry in the B column cell. =c2+ b3. If you copy the formula down the column, be sure it's picking up the correct row.

I am picking up the correct row. The problem is, why is it adding $3000 instead to $300.

Triple G

SteveR wrote:

I am picking up the correct row. The problem is, why is it adding $3000 instead to $300.

Look at the formatting of the cell that has the $300 entry. With Excel, it's always operator error (me ).

SteveR Loc: Michigan

SteveR wrote:

I am picking up the correct row. The problem is, why is it adding $3000 instead to $300.

I used Excel for years at work with no problems. It WAS, however, a fully licensed program. I am beginning to wonder if the programs that are not fully licensed don't work quite as well. I do know that it's not fully functional in other ways, but at least I thought it would add correctly. I guess I should download 365. The Excel version I'm using came with the Office package of Windows as I recall.

BebuLamar

SteveR wrote:

I used Excel for years at work with no problems. It WAS, however, a fully licensed program. I am beginning to wonder if the programs that are not fully licensed don't work quite as well. I do know that it's not fully functional in other ways, but at least I thought it would add correctly. I guess I should download 365. The Excel version I'm using came with the Office package of Windows as I recall.

I don't know of a version that is not working correctly. If you don't have license it would stop working altogether.

RustyM

SteveR wrote:

All the entries are correct and I used =sum(b2+c3) Column 3 was the deposit, column 2 was the running total.

The problem may be the use of the sum function. Normally, it would reference a range, not a formula. Try using just the formula =b2+c3.

BebuLamar

SteveR wrote:

All the entries are correct and I used =sum(b2+c3) Column 3 was the deposit, column 2 was the running total.

The formula as you say =sum(b2+c3) will only add the value in cell b2 to cell c3.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

BebuLamar wrote:

Well you don't want us to see the spreadsheet but without seeing it it's hard to know what is wrong. ...

Correct.

I'll guess a fault in the overall formula methodology.

I always use the balance from the previous line and add/subtract deposits and withdrawals from the new (next) line, creating a new balance on the new line.

I don't think a "non-licensed copy" would do faulty math.

If you share the spreadsheet (privately) with someone who is an avid Excel user, they'll be able to figure it out.
Otherwise we'll just have to guess on stuff.

cdayton

BebuLamar wrote:

The formula as you say =sum(b2+c3) will only add the value in cell b2 to cell c3.

B2 is already a sum. As someone said, you just need b2+c3

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

If you share the spreadsheet (privately) with someone who is an avid Excel user, they'll be able to figure it out.
Otherwise we'll just have to guess on stuff.

Triple G

Longshadow wrote:

Correct.

I'll guess a fault in the overall formula methodology.

I always use the balance from the previous line and add/subtract deposits and withdrawals from the new (next) line, creating a new balance on the new line.

I don't think a "non-licensed copy" would do faulty math.

If you share the spreadsheet (privately) with someone who is an Excel user, they'll be able to figure it out.
Otherwise we'll just have to guess on stuff.

That's how I diagnosed it too. Sounds like you'd be a good pair of eyes to help him out.