'How many spreadsheets and graphs do you have?' blog discussion.

Maud_St_Denis

I had a spreadsheet for all my savings, isa's, bonds, etc.They were a mess because each had different characteristics and I always mean to standardise and link them BUT I couldn't think it through well eough AND my computer crashed and I lost the lot.

I could do with a money saving spreadsheet.

MSE_Martin

iansoady wrote: »

Spreadsheets? pah.

The only tool for really being able to analyse and dissect what's going on is a relational database. I have one I've recorded every item of income / expenditure for the last 6 years since I was forcibly retired. Every item has a category and a context (eg holidays, capital costs). Categories are cross-referenced to reporting categories eg the Observer inflation ones.

It allows all sorts of comparisons, what-ifs and historical comparisons. For example, current year's overall running expenditure is 6.58% less than the pro-rata figure from last year. And is 15.9% greater than the year I started.

A well designed database provides the base data that allows all sorts of analyses that you didn't think of to start with, and is far more powerful than a spreadsheet. And if I do want to see something in spreadsheet view, it's easy to export a table or a query.

It feels like we're all driving 4x4's and you've just come in with a tank!

Percy1983

iansoady wrote: »

Spreadsheets? pah.

The only tool for really being able to analyse and dissect what's going on is a relational database. I have one I've recorded every item of income / expenditure for the last 6 years since I was forcibly retired. Every item has a category and a context (eg holidays, capital costs). Categories are cross-referenced to reporting categories eg the Observer inflation ones.

It allows all sorts of comparisons, what-ifs and historical comparisons. For example, current year's overall running expenditure is 6.58% less than the pro-rata figure from last year. And is 15.9% greater than the year I started.

A well designed database provides the base data that allows all sorts of analyses that you didn't think of to start with, and is far more powerful than a spreadsheet. And if I do want to see something in spreadsheet view, it's easy to export a table or a query.

All praise the uber-geek! (I mean that in a nice way).

I suppose it goes to show how you can be as simple or over the top as you like.

Slickster

Now, as a keen runner myself, and being a mathematician, the *free* 'running' site https://www.fetcheveryone.com is almost unbeatable for losing yourself in past, present and future statistics of your running (and cycling and swimming...). I think you would love it Martin. Revolutionary compared to the pen/paper and then spreadsheets I once kept!

kharyss

iansoady wrote: »

Spreadsheets? pah.

The only tool for really being able to analyse and dissect what's going on is a relational database. I have one I've recorded every item of income / expenditure for the last 6 years since I was forcibly retired. Every item has a category and a context (eg holidays, capital costs). Categories are cross-referenced to reporting categories eg the Observer inflation ones.

It allows all sorts of comparisons, what-ifs and historical comparisons. For example, current year's overall running expenditure is 6.58% less than the pro-rata figure from last year. And is 15.9% greater than the year I started.

A well designed database provides the base data that allows all sorts of analyses that you didn't think of to start with, and is far more powerful than a spreadsheet. And if I do want to see something in spreadsheet view, it's easy to export a table or a query.

I think I'm in love!

Percy1983

Is it just me who think you can overload information, my sheets are clear and concise without a need to record every detail of every step, the time to maintain such a sheet for no more real information at the end of it would bother me.

jackieblack

Percy1983 wrote: »

Is it just me who think you can overload information, my sheets are clear and concise without a need to record every detail of every step, the time to maintain such a sheet for no more real information at the end of it would bother me.

No, not just you, me too ...................

SusanC_2

Percy1983 wrote: »

Is it just me who think you can overload information, my sheets are clear and concise without a need to record every detail of every step, the time to maintain such a sheet for no more real information at the end of it would bother me.

Mine works out what category of expenditure each transaction is (e.g. dental/medical, car etc.) so once I set it up, there is no additional data entry work required to get that information. But depending on how interested you are in the information and the work of data entry, there does come a point where it is not worthwhile.

garfield33

Wow this may be my favourite thread ever! Spreadsheets Anonymous! I'm actually feeling a bit inadequate. I've got...
- student loan pay-off record & calculator (I reckon I've got another 17 years??!? Depressing!)
- overall savings tracker, split into ISA and normal accounts, with averages per month, financial year, calendar year. With graphs!
- ISA/savings interest calculator - working out what my interest will be at the end of the year (also a little depressing)
- cashback / current account interest summary. I've been doing this one for 4 years and I've almost reached £100
- pension contributions
- films I want to see, then when I've seen them, and how (borrowed a friend's, rented, tv etc)
- a list of all the companies who have my address, so when I next move I know who to notify
- petrol tracker with mpg, days between refills, av miles per day
- IOUs e.g. if I buy gig tickets etc, who owes me and who's paid, and who I owe
- number of days til my holiday (11 working days, 15 actual days!)

And my dad tries to hide it, but he's got spreadsheets of his swimming (no. of lengths, swim time, av time per length, how he feels it went), cycling and a list of all the jobs he's got to do, split into categories (house, garden, car, family, council) and colour coded by priority. So at least I know where I get it from. My sister claims she's adopted.

You can't beat a bit of conditional formatting, or a nice, concise nested if statement... <goes off into spreadsheet fantasy land>

Former_MSE_Wendy

Lovin' the thread people :T
Let's spread the word of the spreadsheet