How to Make an Excel Spreadsheet

To make an Excel spreadsheet, open Excel and select Blank workbook. Type column headings in row 1, such as Item, Category and Amount, and enter your data in the rows below, one record per row. Select the data and press Ctrl + T to turn it into a table, add a total with AutoSum, then save the file. This guide walks through each step using a simple monthly budget as an example. Once the basics click, a fuller walkthrough shows how to build a monthly budget in Excel with budget, actual and difference columns.

Applies to: Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 on Windows and Mac, and the free Excel for the web.

Step 1: Create a new workbook

1. Open Excel from the Start menu. For the free version, go to office.com, sign in with a Microsoft account and select Excel.
2. Select Blank workbook. Or pick a template, such as a budget or calendar, under More templates.

You’ll see a grid. Columns have letters (A, B, C), rows have numbers (1, 2, 3), and each box is a cell named by its column and row, such as B2.

Step 2: Type headings and data

1. Click cell A1 and type Item. Press Tab to move to B1 and type Category, then Tab and Amount in C1.
2. Press Enter to move to the next row, and type your first item: Rent, Housing, 1200.
3. Keep going, one item per row. Don’t leave blank rows or columns in the middle of your data.

Type numbers without currency symbols or commas; you’ll format them in Step 4. To fix a typo, click the cell and type over it, or double-click it to edit part of the text.

Step 3: Turn the data into a table

1. Click any cell in your data.
2. Press Ctrl + T (or select Insert > Table).
3. Make sure My table has headers is ticked and select OK.

The table gets banded colors and filter arrows on each heading. New rows you type directly below it join the table automatically, and formulas copy themselves down.

Step 4: Format numbers and columns

• Currency: select the Amount column and choose Home > Number Format > Currency or Accounting.
• Dates: type dates like 10/7/2026, then choose Short Date or Long Date in the same menu.
• Column width: double-click the line between two column letters to fit the column to its contents. Long text can also expand the cells to fit automatically.
• Bold headings: select row 1 and press Ctrl + B (tables already style the header row).

Step 5: Add totals and simple formulas

Every formula starts with an equals sign.

• Total: click the cell under your Amount column and select Home > AutoSum, then press Enter. Excel writes =SUM(C2:C10) for you. In a table, you can also tick Table Design > Total Row.
• Average: =AVERAGE(C2:C10)
• Largest or smallest: =MAX(C2:C10) or =MIN(C2:C10)
• Total for one category: =SUMIF(B2:B10, "Housing", C2:C10)
• Simple maths: =C2*12 gives a yearly cost; use +, -, * and /.

Formulas update automatically when you change the numbers.

Step 6: Sort, filter and freeze headings

• Sort: select the arrow on a heading and choose Sort Largest to Smallest or A to Z.
• Filter: select the arrow on Category and tick only the categories you want to see.
• Keep headings visible: select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row. Pictures of each option are in freezing the top row in Excel.

Step 7: Add a chart

1. Select the Category and Amount columns, including the headings.
2. Select Insert > Recommended Charts, pick one, such as a pie or column chart, and select OK.

Step 8: Save, share and print

• Save: press Ctrl + S, choose a location and name. Want it where you can find it fast? Save the Excel file to the desktop.
• Share: select Share in the top-right corner, or send the file as a link instead of an attachment.
• Print: press Ctrl + P. Under Settings, choose Fit All Columns on One Page so nothing gets cut off. A small sheet can also be stretched to fill the printed page.

Handy shortcuts

• Ctrl + Z: undo.
• Ctrl + ;: insert today’s date.
• Ctrl + Arrow key: jump to the end of the data.
• Ctrl + Shift + +: insert a row or column.
• Shift + F11: add a new sheet.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free version of Excel?

Yes. Excel for the web at office.com and the Excel mobile apps are free with a Microsoft account. They lack some advanced features of the desktop version.

What’s the difference between a workbook and a spreadsheet?

A workbook is the Excel file. Each workbook can contain several worksheets, or spreadsheets, shown as tabs at the bottom.

Related: How to Name Columns in Excel.

Matt Jacobs

Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.