Excel and you: Cell dragging with formulas

So.  You’re creating a cash flow forecast.  You have everything you need:

• The days your checks get deposited 
• When the utilities/mortgage/credit card payments are withdrawn from your account  
• Other expenses figured out to the best of your ability

You’ve used the click drag technique discussed last week to fill in a short description into column A, the reoccurring dates in column B and the amount in column C, and sorted by date.  Please make sure to make the deposits positive, and the withdrawals negative.

Of course those aren't real numbers, you think I'd put my actual budget on the internet? *cough*

But hey, you may ask, how do I keep a running total as to how much money I have at any given time?

Oh, that’s easy, I’d reply. 

First, make sure that you have your beginning balance on the very first row, in column D.  In the example above, that would be row 12. (The amount in the example is 751)

Next, go to the first row of your transactions, in the example above, column 13.  In that cell, type the formula =D12+C13 . Because you made deposits positive and withdrawals negative, you should have a number in D13 that is your beginning balance with the first row added or subtracted appropriately!  Yay you!  In the example above, the new total would be 501.

Now, the fun part!  All you have to do to get the running total for any transaction in your list is click on row D13, and copy-drag the formula down the column as far as you have transactions.

Viola!  You now have a running cash flow forecast, and I can tell you from experience, it is relatively easy to adjust as you need to, especially if you only need to change amount.

Next week:  The case of the non-changing variable, or dollar signs, stop the presses!