let's jump right in and start creating
our first Excel spreadsheet
when you first open Excel the software
opens to a new blank workbook if you
already have a spreadsheet open and want
to create a new one just click the
Microsoft Office button and select new
the new workbook dialog box opens blank
document is highlighted by default so go
ahead and click create now your new
blank workbook appears in the window the
next thing you need to know is how to
insert text all the little rectangles
you see are called cells these cells
will be where your text appears each
cell has a name or a reference based on
the column and row it's in for example
this cell is c3 since it's in column C
and Row 3 this cell is where that column
and row intersect looks like we're ready
to add some text I want to work on
creating a spreadsheet that will help me
keep track of my monthly expenses so
let's select cell a1 as you select the
cell you will see the name of that cell
appear in the name box let's type
monthly budget you can see as you type
that the text appears in cell a1 and in
this box which is called the formula box
this is where any formulas or text you
write in the cells will appear as I
click off of the cell you'll notice the
text extends past the column line but
that's okay you can change this later
since I want to keep my budget for the
entire year I should probably make
columns for each month I receive bills
let's go down to 7c and type January and
we'll use a tab key to tab over to 7d
and type February next we'll go to 7e
and type mark
and so forth okay so keep in mind that
you can move from cell to cell using the
tab key the arrows on your computer or
by simply using your mouse to select a
specific cell the page up and down
buttons on your keyboard will help you
navigate the spreadsheet as well now and
7a let's type bills and this column will
type out all the categories of bills we
need to pay each month I'll start in 8a
with some of my expenses like my rent
now if I own my house I could put my
mortgage payment here I'll press the
arrow key down and in 9a answer car
payment then in 10a put life insurance
now if I make a mistake I can simply use
the backspace key to make the correction
or if I've already moved on and then
decide I want to delete all the text in
the cell I can simply select the cell
and then press the Delete key on the
keyboard you also have the option to
make changes to the text from the
formula box see if I want to change life
insurance to health insurance I can
simply select the cell and make the
changes directly in the formula box some
people find this easier but you can
decide what works for you
in cell 7b let's type date now in this
column I can type the date my bills are
due when you're ready to save the
workbook click the Microsoft Office
button if this is the first time you are
saving the file you'll want to select
save as save s allows you to name the
file whatever you would like and also
choose a location where you'd like to
save the file next I'm going to click on
Excel workbook this is because I want to
save my file as an Excel workbook next
I'm going to choose to save the file to
my desktop and I would like to name my
file household budget then click Save if
I'm sending my file to someone who does
not have Excel 2007 I can save my file
as an Excel 97 through 2003 workbook
this way the other person does not have
to have Excel 2007 to share and edit the
workbook I created I successfully saved
my file and I'm ready to move forward
with my budget