Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

[tinapbeana]

The topic of spreadsheets came up in the blogs, and apparently one of the side affects of a frugal personality type is a morbid geeky love of spreadsheets. YAY spreadsheets!

So here's a thread for all us geeky frugies to share our favorite spreadsheets with others. Be it known that your spreadsheet will be available to all and you will have no control over it once you post it; it could be twisted and turned into all sorts of things. Also, remember .xls is not an allowed extension and you'll have to zip your files to attach them.

BTW, this is placed under general discussion b/c the spreadsheets don't necessarily have to be financial or budgety in nature.

So, without further ado, here goes!

[tinapbeana]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

Here is TinaPBeana's zipped Excel spreadsheet for creating a budget based on 60-10-10-10-10 method.

60% of income for living expenses and bills
10% for retirement savings
10% for long term savings (i.e. a car)
10% for short term savings (i.e. gifts, maintenance, etc.)
10% for FUN

[kimiko]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

I'm always trying to create a spreadsheet and sadly it never get done. Maybe someday I'll be able to share

[LuxLiving]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

I like them I just don't know how to make them....

For those that do I was interested in finding if there was one for tracking Certificates of Deposits. For instance I'd like to have one come due once a month. For now it isn't possible for me to put back enough to invest in one EVERY month so I've got some gap months. I'd like to be able to look at a spreadsheet that showed what months need filling so that when one of the months I've got available in the next 5 years becomes available in the 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 42, 60 month range I'd know what month I was shooting for or if I could save that money for another short period of time, possibly add to it and then fill in another one of my gap months.

Clear as mud??

[JanH]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

I've gone spreadsheet nuts. Hubby uses these things all the time at work so he's been helping me. I can only learn one thing at a time, though. So at this rate, it will quite awhile before I know what the heck I am doing.

[sweeps]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

For those that do I was interested in finding if there was one for tracking Certificates of Deposits. For instance I'd like to have one come due once a month. For now it isn't possible for me to put back enough to invest in one EVERY month so I've got some gap months. I'd like to be able to look at a spreadsheet that showed what months need filling so that when one of the months I've got available in the next 5 years becomes available in the 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 42, 60 month range I'd know what month I was shooting for or if I could save that money for another short period of time, possibly add to it and then fill in another one of my gap months.

It's not a spreadsheet but I outline a couple strategies here and here.

[LuxLiving]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

Thanks Sweepsplayer for your post. I've got a ton of them laddered already, my problem is tracking and filling in the gaps that I've got from not always being able to purchase every month. That's why early this morning as I was reviewing mine - I was wondering if there was a way to do a spreadsheet on them in order to be able to Fill The Gaps that I already have. Then tinapbeana mentions spreadsheets this afternoon...

Something along the lines of I've already got ones for Mar Apr May Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2007 and Jan Feb Apr 08.

Need something to clue me in when a 9 month purchase would fill my Jun 07 gap and a 18 month purchase would fill my Mar 08 gap.

I just thought somekind of visual chart as in a spreadsheet would help me visualize where the gaps were and where I could make the right incremental purchase to fill in the spots.

Not sure I'm explaining myself very well. I would rather not reinvent the wheel as I'm sure someone else has a tracking system in place that I could either use as is or adapt for myself.

Everytime I purchase another one I have a Scarlett O'Hara moment for myself...."I will never go hungry again, no, nor any of mine!"

[greedy4chips]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

Lux,

Are you looking to ladder 6 month, 1 year, or longer CDs? Are they all at the same place?

What you could do is a little work, but aids in planning. Say you want all CDs to mature on the 1st of the month. Contact the institution that you purchased your CDs from and ask them to extend the maturity date to the 1st of the next month. This is pretty easily done if the interest rate has not dropped. If the rate has dropped they may not want to extend it.

They will work with you since they want your money and if you politely suggest that the money will be withdrawn and moved to another institution I am sure the will work with you.

Otherwise if you really want a spreadsheet I can make one. Just explain what exactly you want it to do and I will do my best to satisfy your spreadsheet desires!

[Broken Arrow]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

Ah, spreadsheets, how I love thee....

I haven't used too many in the recent years even though I have the Documents to Go suite for my PDA.

[PRICEPLUS]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

I have a few spreadsheets but they are very basic!

[tinapbeana]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

OK, here is a rudimentary spreadsheet (zipped up so i could put it on the site), that will help calculate grocery savings.

you put in the store, item, sale price, regular price, quantity, and coupon total. the spreadsheet will calculate what you paid, what regular price would have been, and your savings. you can add all your items from your shopping trips, multiple stores, etc, and sort my store, price, etc.

[rduell]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

I have a "book" of 5 spreadsheets that I use each month. I created them while taking my personal finance class this past summer. When I can figure out how, I'll gladly post them here.

[Broken Arrow]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

I believe you can upload it by clicking the "go advanced" at the bottom of the page, then clicking on the "manage attachments" button.

[rduell]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

Thanks! I'll see what I can do when I get home tonight.

[tinapbeana]

Re: Calling all Geeks: Spreadsheet Madness!

just bear in mind that you can't upload the spreadsheet directly: you'll have to 'zip it'. i can upload it if you want to mail it to me...