Five spreadsheet formulas that cover most everyday needs

A spreadsheet is one of the most valuable skills you can learn. Employers, small business owners and freelancers all use them. The good news is that a handful of formulas solve most everyday problems. These five work in the common spreadsheet apps.

1. SUM: add numbers

Use SUM to add a range of cells. For example, =SUM(B2:B10) adds everything from B2 to B10. It is perfect for totalling expenses, sales or hours worked.

2. AVERAGE: find the typical value

=AVERAGE(B2:B10) calculates the average of the numbers in that range. Use it to see your average daily earnings or average test score.

3. IF: make decisions

=IF(B2>=50000,"Target met","Keep going") checks a condition and shows one result if it is true and another if it is false. It is useful for pass or fail marks, stock alerts or budget limits.

4. SUMIF: add only what matches

=SUMIF(A2:A20,"Transport",B2:B20) adds the amounts in column B only where column A says "Transport". This is the easiest way to total expenses by category.

5. VLOOKUP or a similar lookup: find information

A lookup formula finds a value in a table and returns related information. For example, you can enter a product code and get the price automatically. Newer spreadsheet versions also offer a function called XLOOKUP that does the same job in a simpler way.

A practice project

Make a one-month budget sheet. In column A write the category, in column B the amount and in column C the date. Then:

1. Use SUM to total everything.
2. Use SUMIF to total each category.
3. Use IF to display "Over budget" when a category passes its limit.
4. Use AVERAGE to see your daily spending.

Tips for beginners

• Click on a cell to see its formula in the formula bar.
• Use colours sparingly, so the sheet stays readable.
• Keep one table per sheet and give columns clear titles.
• Save regularly and keep a backup.

Keep learning

Search for free tutorials on each formula and practise with your own data. A real project, like tracking your income and expenses, teaches faster than any lecture. Within a few weeks these formulas will feel natural.

Written by the EarnNaija team at EarnNaija Digital Technologies.

This article is general information, not financial or legal advice. Earnings are never guaranteed. See our fees page for the exact costs.