[CS-FSLUG] Confessions of a Dumb Spreadsheet User

[Don Parris]

I don't get to post much that's useful, and, well, maybe this won't be
either.  ;-)))

But I've finally discovered the Data Pilot in Libre/OpenOffice Calc.
Here's my confession:

Sometime ago, I setup this really elaborate spreadsheet with a sheet
for each major category of expenses, plus an income page.  I then
created an even more elaborate summary page that shows every category
for every month, and whether I'm over or under budget.  I've been
manually entering my receipts every so often (which seems to be less
often these days), and then I can look and say, "Behold! I have
managed to stay above budget!!"

I've known for some time that I can simply download my bank data
(except for Wachovia, which insists on forcing the Quicken format down
my throat).  Well, ok, I'll try out the Calc2QIF macro before I grouch
too much about that.  Oddly, I really only used it for checking my
receipts.

After learning about the data pilot, I started into that most
dangerous of activities... thinking.  So just for fun, I downloaded
about 3 months of raw data from the bank and played with the data
pilot.  It doesn't give me the budget comparison, but it can.

I download the data.
I throw in a column of categories (unfortunately I have to assign the
categories manually).
I fire up the data pilot, putting the dates in the columns, Categories
in rows and the transactions as the data.  And I create a new sheet
for the result set.
I sum the categories.
I then us Data > Group & Outline > Group to group the dates by months.
I suppose this is where I can use the data pilot a 2nd time to create
the comparisons to budget.
Then there's the possibility of charting...  :-)

I haven't really changed my spreadsheet habit just yet - it's still a
new discovery for me.  But instead of having a spreadsheet for each
year, I can have 1 spreadsheet with 1 sheet each for 10 years of data.

I guess my point is, the better you know a tool, the more effective
you can be in using it.  That's true whether we're talking about God's
Word, a shovel or a spreadsheet.

My other point is, never lose your sense of curiosity about how things work.

Now you all can come along and tell me how you do it back in
Cleveland.  Or Machu Picchu or whereever.  :-p

Blessings,
Don
-- 
D.C. Parris, FMP LEED AP O+M
Minister, Security/FM Coordinator, Free Software Advocate
https://www.xing.com/profile/Don_Parris
http://www.linkedin.com/in/dcparris
http://www.facebook.com/don.parris