19. Software (Example)

 I created a Budget spreadsheet as a way to show capabilities of it, below you can find step by step how I did it: 

Step 1: I opened a spreadsheet program:

I launched my preferred spreadsheet software, such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, and created a new blank document.

Step 2: I set up my columns and rows:

In the first row, I created column headings for different categories of my budget, including "Income," "Expenses," and "Savings." I also added additional categories based on my specific needs.

In the following rows, I listed subcategories under each column heading. For example, under "Expenses," I had subcategories like "Rent," "Utilities," "Groceries," "Transportation," and so on. I left a few empty rows below each subcategory for data entry.

Step 3: I entered my income and expense data:

In the "Income" column, I entered the sources of my income, such as salary, freelance work, or any other income streams. I filled in the corresponding values in the rows below each income source.

In the "Expenses" column, I entered the various expenses I incurred, such as rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, etc. I added the corresponding values in the rows below each expense item.

Step 4: I calculated totals and balances:

Next, I wanted to calculate the totals and balances for each category. Here are the formulas I used:

a) Total Income:

In a cell below my income values, I used the formula "=SUM(" and selected the range of cells that contained my income values, such as "=SUM(B2:B10)" if my income data was in cells B2 to B10.

b) Total Expenses:

Similar to the previous step, I used the formula "=SUM(" and selected the range of cells that contained my expense values.

c) Savings:

In a cell below my "Total Income," I subtracted the "Total Expenses" from the "Total Income" using the formula "=Total Income - Total Expenses."

Step 5: I calculated percentages:

To analyze the percentage of income spent in each category, I followed these steps:

a) Percentage of Expenses:

In a new column next to the "Total Expenses" column, I created a header for "Expense %." In the row below it, I entered the formula "=Expense/Total Income" and applied the formula to the rest of the rows by dragging the formula down.

Step 6: I formatted my spreadsheet:

I formatted the spreadsheet to make it visually appealing and easy to read. I applied different font styles, colors, or shading to highlight important sections or totals.

Here is how it looked at the end: