Useful Free Excel Spreadsheets from Software Africa

These spreadsheets will be e-mailed to you by auto-responder on request, free of charge. To use them you need Microsoft Excel 2000 or later (2003 is recommended). Some require you to enable macros in order to run (full instructions included, but no batteries).

They are all CareWare. CareWare is free, but you agree in return to do something to improve the planet: You decide what and how much. Some suggestions: Give away something you've made; help someone else; watch an hour less television; plant a tree; walk instead of driving; be friendly to young people, strangers, the blind and the elderly; join EarthLife Africa. If you'd like to tell us what you did, or contribute a CareWare spreadsheet, please e-mail us. Read more about CareWare here.

The problem: Keep track of our internet banking accounts on a spreadsheet, make sure that all expected entries appear, and plan future income and expenses. The difficulty is that each bank has its own format with the result that, in most cases, if you copy from the internet and paste into Excel, it does not recognise the numbers as numbers. ABSA uses two lines per entry, which makes sorting difficult. FNB's site displays the newest entries at the top (descending order), while the others display newest at the bottom (ascending).

The solution: We've set up an Excel spreadsheet into which you can paste from the on-line statements of the big four South African banks: ABSA, NedBank, First National Bank (FNB) and Standard Bank (popularly known as GRABSA, NerdBank, FIB, and Sub-Standard) You then click a button on the sheet and it runs a macro that reformats the selected data into single-line entries for ease of sorting, in ascending date order, with columns to check your running total against the bank's, and a column giving the available balance with respect to a target balance or overdraft limit. The available balance appears in different colours as you approach your limit, and red when you exceed it.

There is space below for you to add expected income and expense items to predict your cash flows.

Version 3.01 includes the following account formats:

ABSA	ABSA descriptions paste onto two rows. The button combines them. This sheet also works for the Virgin Money card (copy balance manually from top of Statement).
FNB Cheque	First National Bank Cheque accounts have "Reference" and "Charges" columns and have newest items at the top, so the button sorts them.
FNB eBucks	First National Bank eBucks accounts have a "Charges" column and have newest items at the top, so the button sorts them.
FNB 32-day Call	First National Bank FNB 32-day call accounts have no "Reference" or "Charges" columns. They have newest items at the top, so the button sorts them.
NedCheq	Nedbank Cheque also applies to Savings accounts. Unlike others, it has Debit and Credit columns separately.
NedCard	Nedbank Card accounts have Debit and Credit in a single column, and no running balance (copy manually from top of Statement). Transfers to Budget account are shown but the program excludes them from the arithmetic because the total includes Budget.
Standard	Standard Bank has "Charges", "Debit" and "Credit" columns. The program caters for both types of Statement on Standard Bank's Internet banking: Provisional and History.
SAHL	SA Home Loans may be useful to some people. This sheet has a chart to monitor progress.

To get the Bank Reconciliation spreadsheet (795 KB zipped to 164 KB), Click here and Send

Fuel Consumption Excel Spreadsheet (Version 1.02 – 6 May 2011)

Our Fuel Consumption spreadsheet comes with sample data and an explanation of the formulas. You enter your kilometre readings, litres to fill up, and amount paid. It will work out the fuel consumption and cost per litre. Fill in your km when the car is serviced, and the "km since service" figure will go red when you exceed the service interval. There is also a "Trips" sheet for for recording specific trips (for distances) and Toll fees (for expense claims).

If you'd like the simple metric Fuel Consumption Spreadsheet (75 KB), Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail.

Also available: A more complicated Fuel Consumption Spreadsheet (with macros) that does not require you to either fill up your tank every time or add up the fuel manually, for only R100. Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail to ask for the Fuel Consumption Extended Spreadsheet.

The above spreadsheets work in litres and km. Would you prefer miles, gallons, and mpg? For only US$15 you can get a spreadsheet that works in USA units: Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail to ask for the Fuel Consumption MPG Spreadsheet, or e-mail rick@softwareafrica.co.za.

Rainfall Spreadsheet with Statistics (Version 1.00 – 4 Dec 2006)

Is it getting wetter or drier? Is global climate change making rainfall more erratic? How about tracking your rain and comparing between years?

Hop down to your nearest hardware shop and buy your loved one a rain gauge as his/her present for Birthday / Christmas / Chanukah / Yule / Summer Solstice / New Year! –You think we're joking? Friends of ours say it's the most useful present anyone has given them!

Then click here and SEND the resulting e-mail to request the free rainfall spreadsheet. This Excel file not only makes data entry easy, but calculates your monthly and annual statistics (days of rain and mm rainfall for the period). It also has Johannesburg rainfall statistics from the Weather Bureau, and a full explanation of the formulas used in case you want to learn more (no macros).

Water Meter Readings Spreadsheet (Version 1.01 – 04 Oct 2006)

Our Water Meter Readings spreadsheet lets you enter your monthly water readings. It has sample data, the web address and instructions on submitting water readings to Johannesburg Water on-line (when they are working!), with 2006/7 charges for checking your bill: To get the Water Meter Readings Spreadsheet (70 KB), Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail.

Electricity Meter Readings Spreadsheet (Version 1.00 – 13 November 2007)

This works like the Water Meter Readings spreadsheet and lets you enter your monthly power readings (3 phases). It contains Eskom's latest Johannesburg Domestic Tariff charges for checking your bill –for Joburg City Power and other suppliers you can enter the charges from your power account. To get it (61 KB) Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail.

Also available (for R300) is a spreadsheet that lets you check Johannesburg City Power charges for readings between specified dates. It works with their stepped tariff, which varies depending on season. To ask about it, Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail.

Mattress Turning Schedule (Version 1.00 – 16 Oct 2007)

When you buy certain mattresses, the manufacturer requires you to turn them on a regular basis, typically fortnightly during the first three months and then monthly thereafter. There are four ways the mattress can be placed, and a specific order for turning. Who bothers? But if you don't, and your mattress sags or goes lumpy, your guarantee may not be valid!

So, while it may seem silly, we set up a spreadsheet to solve this problem. You enter the dates of purchase and delivery, and a suitable number of days to get to (for example) the domestic worker's preferred day. The program then works out the schedule for you. You can print it out and stick it on the back of a door or other suitable place. Cross off each date when the mattress has been turned to the position shown on the picture. To get this Excel file (104 KB), Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail.

John Demartini Fast Savings Formula Calculator (Version 1.01 ~ 10 February 2009)

This free spreadsheet calculates savings for you according to the method Dr John Demartini calls the Forced Accelerating Savings Technique ("FAST"). The idea is to decide on an amount to save monthly, and then increase it by a percentage every three months. The constant increase pushes up your contributions, and therefore your savings, dramatically over time. The spreadsheet lets you vary the initial contribution, the percentage increase, and inflation, to see your results over time. If you'd like this free Excel Savings spreadsheet, click here and SEND the resulting e-mail.

Quotation System with Bill of Materials

This is a spreadsheet for producing general small business quotations. You can enter your own price lists. Output can be personalized with your company name and details. File size: 818 KB (zipped). Cost: Free. To download, go to Quotation System page.

A Bonus!

So that you can stay in touch, when you request any of the above we will subscribe you to our monthly e-newsletter containing helpful tips for Windows, Excel, Outlook, Maximizer, etc. If you don't want any of the spreadsheets, but would like to subscribe to the newsletter, Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail.

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Would you like a spreadsheet, macro, template, database or stand-alone PC program to make your life easier and your business more profitable? Or training or help to create your own? Contact us!

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