Tracking Sheet In Excel
Excel is easy tracking software that can help you set up display notes and numbers quickly and easily. You can use it to make plans and monitor your progress. You can build trackers in Excel for many everyday things with a few easy clicks.
How do you create a tracking sheet in Excel? Creating a tracking sheet in excel will depend on what you want to track. However, the primary steps are opening Excel and setting up validation rules. You can also highlight crucial data using conditional formatting if you desire.
There are many reasons one needs to learn how to create a tracking sheet in excel. If you are a gambler, you need excel tracking sheets.
Creating A Tracking Sheet In Excel
Step 1
Start the Excel program and create a new file. If that were a pre-set feature on your computer, a new window would pop up automatically. You may go manually to the file (at the top menu bar) and select New Workbook. Simple, right?
Workbooks are the name for these spreadsheets. Alternatively, double-click the Excel Workbook option to open a small window with a list of models.
You can also choose other options if you want to play around with other possibilities. Alternatively, you may utilize the keyboard shortcut Ctrl/command + n to open a new file automatically.
You may get confused when doing the first step. In any case, you will end up with an open spreadsheet.
Step 2
You can see a series of buttons with different functions at the top of the workbook. However, depending on the version and customization, you might not have the same.
Here are some of them:
- open
- Paste
- undo/redo
- statistic commands
- arrangement
- filter
- zoom
- help
- save
- cut
- copy
- copy format
There should be a system of tabs beneath the top toolbar: Home, layout, tables, etc.
Several useful functions are available in the Home tab, including:
- paste
- fill
- wrap text
- number formatting
- conditional formatting
- cell formatting
- clear
- font customization
- alignment
There are a few useful functions in the Layout tab (not as many as in the Home tab, but still useful), including:
- general page formatting
- freeze rows/columns
- arrange windows
Step 3
There are a few useful functions in the Tables tab, including:
- table formatting
- removing duplicates
- adding/removing cells
Step 4
There are a few crucial functions in the Charts tab (not as many as at home, but still useful), including:
- chart types
- chart styles
- chart formatting
More tabs appear when you create a graph, but I’ll go over that later.
There are a few more tabs (SmartArt, Formulas, Data, and Review). However, those tabs are mostly for extensive tracking.
Step 5
To pre-format all of your cells, you must first pick them all. To choose all cells, click the arrow in the top left corner of the grid or press ctrl/command + a.
If the text in a cell is longer than its width, some would like to wrap it to another side. To do so, select wrap text from the drop-down menu.
Step 6
We begin typing in some information in Excel by labeling specific cells.
A swift function trick:
- Always type the equals sign before the function. If you get stuck in the function, just press enter to exit.
- Before pressing enter to exit, press the cell with that function and click on the function bar to edit it.
Step 7
We can now add a coloring scheme and autofill more cells. We use a combination of autofill and formatting painting to extend the highlighting to other regions.
Step 8
The next move is to adjust the cell formatting. The numbers in the date column are automatically formatted as dates. The sum columns are automatically formatted as dollars $0.00.
Step 9
Some like to use a nice solid grid to differentiate groups of cells. Use the grid button to do so.
You can also freeze spreadsheet panes that don’t move when you scroll up/down/left/right. This step will ensure that the left or top rows/columns are still visible.
Step 10
Conditional formatting is a useful feature of Excel. You may have cells that meet a significant criterion automatically highlighted. For example, it will be highlighted if you want to be notified any time you spend more than $200 on betting.
Step 11
You can save this tracking spreadsheet to your computer, flash drive, floppy disk, CD, or whatever else you want. However, I strongly advise you to back it up online or in the cloud.
Google Drive is a fantastic, free option. You may even install the Google Drive app on your computer to automatically sync online as you change the Excel sheet.
Dropbox and OneDrive are excellent alternatives, as they have an auto-syncing app for computers.
Free Templates
Pre-made models are available in Excel and many other programs. Some are also available as free downloads on the internet.
You may find most of them to be a little too complicated for your requirements. For example, in some Excel expense trackers, you can see columns for school, food, transportation, etc.
You should start creating your prototype and give a detailed view of your sheet’s functions. Everything is very detailed but not appropriate for your betting purposes. I advise you not to fiddle with and modify a pre-made sheet.
Why Should You Track Your Expenses
It Helps You Keep Track Of Gambling Wins And Losses
A comprehensive tracker will make tallying your wins and losses much easier. The more details you include about where and when you spent your gambling money, the more reliable your record will be.
It may also assist you with tax deductions, but you may need to provide additional proof.
It Aids In The Definition Of Your Financial Situation
If you write it down, you will never know how much money you have to save or invest. You will see where you stand financially by keeping track of your expenses.
Bringing out the budget manager in you is simpler when you are financially conscious. After all, budgeting when you don’t know what you’re going to spend is tricky.
It Analyzes The Spending Patterns
We all have the one thing we spend a lot of money on. You buy things to make you happy and also to alleviate tension.
Although such items aren’t inherently evil, there is a distinction between rewarding and splurging. When you keep track of your expenses, you get a reality check and make adjustments to invest more wisely.
Getting Rid Of Impulse Purchases
You often buy things without giving them much thought or consulting your budget. It can have a long-term unfavorable effect on your finances.
Based on my observations and experience, impulsive buying is the natural enemy of saving money.
It Helps You Achieve Your Financial Goals
Sticking to your budget isn’t enough if you aren’t still working on vital savings goals. If you want to save for something, you’ll be more likely to accomplish them if you prepare for them.
Develop a savings plan and monitor your expenses to ensure your spending meets your priorities.
Include debt relief as a fixed cost in your budget if paying off high-interest debt is your top priority. Make a monthly payment for the debt that you budgeted for.
Keep track of your expenses to ensure you pay as much debt as you expect. If you’ve paid it off, you can focus on other goals you couldn’t achieve when you were in debt.
It Compels You To Save Money
Keeping track of expenses has another benefit. You’re more likely to discover unnecessary expenses that you can cut out.
We’ve had friends tell us on several occasions that once they began monitoring their spending. They found they were paying for online subscriptions they’d forgotten about. That is just one example.
You’ll also find other places of financial waste to remove, in addition to unused subscriptions. And when you do, you’ll have the option of saving money.
It Helps With Getting Rid Of Your Financial Stress
In the world of personal finance, ignorance is not bliss. We’ve all seen those people who don’t seem to give a damn about their spending habits.
They charge every payment to a separate credit card, fund brand-new vehicles they can’t afford, ending up buried under a mountain of debt.
You may avoid all of these if you follow the two basic steps below:
- Sticking to a budget
- Keeping track of your spending regularly.
You must be conscientious, and you need to have discipline in spending your money. If you keep track of your spending, you are less likely to make poor financial decisions.
When you have fewer poor financial choices, you’ll alleviate one of the most common sources of stress in your life: financial difficulties.
Conclusion
When you keep track of your spending, your financial well-being becomes a much higher priority in your life. The more reason you need to keep an excel tracking sheet is if you are a gambler.
It will help you separate your money for gambling and other expenses. You can also see the overall performance of your gambling, which will help you improve your betting strategies.