Excel Tips


Calculate First of Month »

June 22, 2022

I have a series of invoice dates, and I need to group the data by month. In “Display Monthly Dates,” I learned how to format a date to display as a month and year. However, when I format a date to look like a month, I know by looking at the formula bar that the underlying value still really includes the day as well as the month and year.


Add a Column to Show Month or Weekday »

June 21, 2022

I want to analyze sales by weekday. Can I calculate the weekday from a date?


Display Monthly Dates »

June 20, 2022

I have a data set that shows the actual date for each invoice. When I print the invoice register, I would like to print just the month and year instead of the specific date.


Format Dates »

June 16, 2022

I don’t like the Short Date or Long Date format. I am going to keep storing my dates as text because I have more control.


Convert Text Dates to Real Dates »

June 15, 2022

I have dates stored as text. How can I convert them to real dates?


How Can I Tell If Have Real Dates? »

June 14, 2022

How can I tell if I have real dates or text dates? They look alike.


Use Real Dates »

June 13, 2022

I hate Excel dates. I try to do a calculation and I get a number like 43148. Or I try to calculate the number of days between an invoice and a payment and I get an answer like January 15, 1900.


Auditing Worksheets with Inquire »

June 10, 2022

I have to compare two versions of a workbook to find what changed.


Monitor Distant Cells »

June 9, 2022

I have a massively large spreadsheet. I’m working on calculations in the top of the spreadsheet but need to monitor results in several other worksheets. It is a pain to travel back and forth to monitor those cells. Is there another way to do this?