Created by David Alderoty, July,
2009 RunDavid@Verizon.net
This
website provides a unique budget calculator that calculates, total income and expenses, balance, RATE of income and
expenses, and RATE of financial gain or loss. This calculator operates online, but it
also is available in the Excel and open office.org formats, for free
download. For more information,
instructions, and links to the other versions of this calculator, scroll all the
way down beneath the Online Budget-Rate Calculator. For a printer friendly version of the online
Calculator, left click here.
To go to the main website on Budgets
left click here.
The
Four Versions of the Budget Rate Calculator
ONLINE,
EXCEL, EXCEL WITH DATABASE AND OPENOFFICE.ORG
Downloading
the Excel and Openoffice.org Versions of the Budget Rate
Calculator
You
can download the Excel and OpenOffice.org versions of the budget rate
calculator, with the blue links on the end of this paragraph. It can take anywhere from a few seconds,
to several minutes or longer, to download, depending on your Internet
connection.
For the Excel version of the Budget-Rate Calculator
left click on these words. To
use this version, you must have Microsoft Excel and Windows on your computer.
For the Budget-Rate Calculator with a database sorting
function and the Excel format, left click on these words. This requires Microsoft Excel 2003 or
later, and Windows.
For the Budget-Rate Calculator in the OpenOffice.org
format, left click on these words.
This requires the OpenOffice.org software package, and Microsoft
Windows.
For all three versions of the above, in a single folder,
left click on these words.
The
Budget-Rate Calculator in the OpenOffice.org Format
If
you do not have Microsoft Excel on your computer, use the budget rate Calculator
in the OpenOffice.org format. This
will require Windows and OpenOffice.org software package. This software package is very high
quality, and it has most of the functionality of Microsoft Office, but it is
available for free, at: www.OpenOffice.org Left click on the above web address to
download this software package.
Do
You Need Instructions to Use the Budget-Rate
Calculator?
The
Budget Rate Calculator is fairly easy-to-use, and most people can probably learn
how to use it, with a little trial and error learning. However, to make use of all of its
functionality, it may be necessary to read some or all of the following
material.
Note, the
text on this website is laid out with red headings large fonts, and short
paragraphs, to make it easy to find what you want, and easy to skip material
that you do not want to read.
The
Four Versions Are Similar, But Not Identical
The
four versions of the budget rate Calculator are similar structurally and
functionally. Most of the following
descriptions and instructions apply to all four versions, unless otherwise
noted. However, there are some
differences as explained below.
The
Online Version of the Budget Rate Calculator
The
online version of the Budget Rate Calculator does not have the ability to save
data. As soon as you close the
browser, the words and numbers you entered, and your calculated results will
disappear. You can partly get
around this limitation by printing your data. If you plan to print your results, you
should use the printer friendly version of the online calculator. If this is not
done much superfluous material might be printed.
For a printer friendly version of the online
Calculator, left click here.
An
alternative to printing is to take a screenshot of the online Budget- Rate
Calculator, with your data and calculated results. Instructions on how to take a screenshot
of online calculators is explained on the main website www.Tech-For-Text.com/Budget
The
main advantage of the online version of the Budget Rate Calculator is it is
accessible from any locality with an Internet connection, and you do not need
any special software. The only
requirement is a modern browser.
The
Budget-Rate Calculator in the Excel Format
The
Budget Rate Calculator in the Microsoft Excel format is ideal for keeping
permanent records of your budgets.
However, to use it you must have Microsoft Excel and Windows on your
computer.
The
Budget-Rate Calculator in the Excel Format with a Database Sorting
Function
If
you want to arrange the items in your budget, after you entered the data into
the calculator, you should use the budget rate calculator with a database
sorting function. This calculator
is similar to the above, except for the additional functionality. It requires Microsoft Excel 2003 or
later, as well as Windows.
General Description
and Instructions
For The Budget-Rate
Calculator.
SUMMARY
Brief
Instructions
Detailed
description and related instructions for the budget-rate calculator is provided
on this website. However, some
users might prefer a brief set of instructions, especially if they are highly
skilled with the computer. Thus, I
am providing the following summary:
·
Before entering numbers or words into a
box (cell), you must left click on it, with the mouse, and then type your
numbers or words.
·
Go to the very top of the
Budget-Rate Calculator and delete the dates in the two red highlighted
boxes. Then enter the first day
(start date) of your budget, in the box on the left. Then, enter the last day of your budget,
(the end date) of your budget, in the light-yellow section of the red
highlighted box.
·
Then scroll down until you see four
columns. In these columns enter
your income and expenses that you incurred, or will incur, during the period
defined by your start date and end date.
·
Underlined BLUE or RED numbers,
and words, are calculated results.
·
With the Excel and OpenOffice
versions only, numbers that become highlighted in yellow after you enter your
income and expenses, represent a shortage of funds. With the online version, there is no
highlighting, but you will see a minus sign (-) next to some of the calculated
results, when there is a shortage of funds.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF
THE BUDGET Rate
CALCULATOR
Utility of the
Budget-Rate Calculator
This software
(Budget-Rate Calculator) is designed for calculating a budget, a balance
sheet, or a combination of both of the above. The Budget-Rate Calculator has a
large number of features. If you
find a feature that is irrelevant for your needs, you can simply ignore
it.
The Uniqueness of the
Budget Rate Calculator
The
Budget-Rate Calculator performs over a dozen calculations simultaneously,
including total income, expenses, and balance. What makes this software unique is it
also calculates the rate of income, rate of expenses, and rate
of gain or loss. For example,
if you enter your expenses for 30 days, it will calculate your average rate of
income, average rate of expenses, average rate of gain or loss, for that 30 day
period. It will also make predictions of your average rate per year, even if you
only entered one month of income and expenses. This information can indicate if you are
in a financially stable situation.
If the
Budget-Rate Calculator shows that you have a rate of gain you are in a good,
or at the very least in a stable, financial situation. This is assuming that your income is not
reduced or terminated, and your expenses do not increase.
If the
Budget-Rate Calculator shows an average rate of loss, then you have a
financial problem, requiring more money and/or a reduction in
expenses.
Calculated Results Are
Presented in Wording and Numbers
Some of the
wording on the Budget-Rate Calculator changes according to the
calculations. For example, if you have more expenses
than income, you will have a rate of loss.
The wording will change to indicate this. However, if you correct the situation,
such as by an increase in wages, or reduction in expenses, the wording will
change to rate of gain, as soon as the new data is entered into the calculator.
Whether there
is a gain or loss, the calculator will present numbers to indicate how much you
are gaining or losing, on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. Keep in mind that these figures are
averages, and they are based on the data you entered.
Start Date and End
Date on the Budget-Rate Calculator
The
Budget-Rate Calculator can be set for very short or very long time periods,
ranging from one day to well over 100 years, by entering a start date and an end
date. The details on how to do this
will be provided in the next section.
Based on the
settings you enter, the software will automatically calculate the number of days
remaining in your budget. After the
budget has expired, the software will display the words: EXPIRED, THIS BUDGET
HAS EXPIRED.
Evaluating Financial
Stability with the Budget-Rate Calculator
When long time
periods are entered into the Budget-Rate Calculator, such as six months, one
year, five years, you can enter anticipated as well as current wages and
expenses. When the calculator is
used in this way, it essentially calculates a balance sheet that applies to the
time interval you entered. This can
be very useful when you want to determine long-term financial stability.
An example of
the utility discussed above, becomes apparent with expensive purchases such as a
house. If you want to buy a house,
you can set the calculator from the start date and end date of the mortgage
payments. Then enter your income,
expenses, and your anticipated income and expenses, and the Budget Rate
Calculator, will provide the numbers.
This should tell you whether or not you can afford to purchase the
house. The same idea can be applied
to a car or any other expensive item.
However, when
doing assessments that are similar to the above, you must keep in mind that you
are entering data based on predictions, and the calculated results will be no
more accurate than your predictions.
For example, if you lose your job, and/or have a great increase in
expenses, your long-term calculations can be meaningless.
You can partly
get around this uncertainty, by calculating several Budget Rate Calculator
documents, such as with very-pessimistic, pessimistic, realistic, and optimistic
estimations. If your pessimistic
calculations indicate you can meet your expenses, you probably have very good,
long-term financial stability.
However, people have a tendency to make overoptimistic estimations. This can partly be offset by a savings
account, or low risk investments coupled with various types of insurance,
especially health and fire insurance.
Income & Expense
Cycles Must Coincide
With Time Settings in
the Budget-Rate Calculator
To obtain
accurate results, it is necessary to enter all the income and expenses for the
time that the calculator is set for.
For example, if the calculator is set for 30 days, from 6/1/2009 to
6/30/2009, to obtain accurate results, you must enter all the income and
expenses for this 30 day period.
With this example, you would not enter any income or expenses that were
incurred before 6/1/2009. In
addition, you would not enter any income or expenses that you expected to
receive after 6/30/2009.
Keep in mind that
the above applies to any time interval.
This means if you set the calculator for seven days (one week), you must
enter all the income and expenses for the seven-day period. If you set the calculator for 365 days
(one year), you must enter all the income and expenses that are expected for one
year.
If the
above is not carried out, or improperly performed, the calculations that involve
time will be inaccurate. This
includes calculations that involve rate.
For example, if you set the calculator for 15 days, and you enter your
wages and expenses for a 30 day period, all the rates will be incorrectly
doubled. Another example, if you
enter earnings and expenses for a 15 day period, and you have the calculator set
for 30 days, all the rates will be incorrectly calculated at one half of the
true value.
However, the
income, expenses, and related balance will be calculated accurately, no matter
what time interval you enter into the calculator. These calculations involve adding and
subtracting, and time is not involved.
HOW TO USE THE
BUDGET-RATE CALCULATOR IN SIX STEPS
Step 1) How to Enter
Numbers and Words
Into the Budget-Rate
Calculator
To enter
numbers into this calculator, you must first position the cruiser into the cell
that you want to put the numbers in.
(The cells are the boxes that you enter words or numbers in.) You can do this by left clicking with
the mouse on the cell. You can also
move the cruiser by repeatedly pressing the tab key, until you are in the cell
you want. These techniques apply to
the online version, as well as the Excel and OpenOffice.org
versions
With the Excel
and OpenOffice.org versions you can also move the cruiser downward from one cell
to another by repeatedly pressing the enter key. You can move the cruiser upward by
holding down the shift key, and repeatedly pressing the enter Key or the tab
key. In addition, you can
also use the arrow keys to move from one cell to another, with the Excel and
OpenOffice.org versions. However,
most people find that the mouse is the easiest way to move from one cell to
another.
Step 2) Setting The Start Date And End Date Of Your
Budget
Before you use
the balance sheet Calculator, you must delete the date in the box on the upper
left, which is highlighted in red.
After deleting the date, enter the first day of your budget, (start
date).
After
completing the above, go to the box on the upper right, also highlighted in red,
and delete the date in this box.
After deleting the date, enter the last day of your budget, (the end
date).
The dates must
be entered in the same format as the dates you deleted, which is
months/day/year, such as 9/12/2009, or 9/12/09.
Note: For most
people, a one-month period is the ideal length for a conventional budget,
because many bills are paid monthly.
However if you want to evaluate your overall financial situation, based
on anticipated income and expenses, six months to a number of years might be
appropriate.
Step 3) Entering Your
Income
To enter your
income into the Budget-Rate Calculator, scroll down until you see four columns,
with the numbers 1), 2), 3) and 4).
In column 1) enter a descriptive word or phrase, to describe each source
of income; you receive, such as wages, dividends, pension, etc.
After
completing the above, go to column 2) and enter the dollar amount of the sources
of income that you described in column 1).
Of course, the descriptions in column 1, should
coincide with the dollar amounts in column 2).
Important note:
enter only income that has been obtained or will be obtained, within the
timeframe you set for your budget.
Do not enter income that was obtained before you started this budget, or
will be attained after the budget has expired.
Step 4) Entering Your
Expenses
To enter your
expenses, go to column 3) and type a descriptive word or phrase for each
expense, such as electric bill, telephone bill, rent, transportation,
etc.
After
completing the above, go to column 4) and enter the dollar amount of each
expense. Of course, the
descriptions in column 3), should coincide with the
dollar amounts in column 4).
Important note:
enter only expenses that have been incurred, or will be incurred, within the
timeframe you set for your budget.
Do not enter expenses that were incurred before you started this budget,
or expenses that will be incurred after the budget has
expired.
Step 5) Obtaining
Calculated Results
After entering
numbers, you will have calculated results as soon as you move the cruiser out of
the box that you placed the numbers in.
This can be done by left clicking with the mouse on another box. Alternatively, you can obtain calculated
results, by pressing the tab key. With the online version, you can also
left click on the Calculate button located on the top and also on the
bottom of the calculator. For the
Excel and OpenOffice.org versions you can also press the enter key to obtain
calculated results.
Step 6) For the Excel
and OpenOffice.org Versions, Saving the Data and Permanent Records From The Budget Rate Calculator
The Excel and
OpenOffice.org versions of the Budget Rate Calculator can produce a limitless
number of calculating documents.
This allows you to keep permanent records of all your budgets. However, you must always remember to use
a different filename for each calculating document that you want to save. The most convenient filename is the date
that you started the budget for, such as Jan 1 2009, 1-1-09, or 1-1-2009. You cannot use the conventional format
for a date as a filename, with Microsoft Windows, such as 1/1/09.
To save
your Excel or OpenOffice.org Budget Rate Calculator document, hold down the
control key, and press the s key.
Alternatively, you can also use the same functions on the file
menu.
You can
enter or delete words or numbers in the calculation document from Excel or
OpenOffice, at any time, but if you do not save your changes you made, they will
be lost as soon as you close the document.
My Name is David
Alderoty, and I Designed and Built This Website and the Budget-Rate
Calculator.
I can design
user-friendly calculation devices, in the Excel, OpenOffice.org, and Online
JavaScript formats, to precise Specifications, for arithmetic, accounting,
algebra, trigonometry, correlations, calculus, etc. In addition, I can create attractive and
unusual online communication forms, and websites. I write instructions for the devices I
create, which can install on a website in the form of conventional text, and/or
an audio format.
I can
provide the services mentioned above, based on permanent or temporary
employment. My resume is online at:
www.David100.com/R, and a list
of my websites is at www.David100.com.
If you need
my services, or have any questions or comments, You can
call me at (212) 581-3740. You can
e-mail me RunDavid@Verizon.net. You can also send your message in a
website communication form, by left clicking on the blue words: WEB FORM. My address is
If you are
a great distance from my locality, or are in a foreign country, this is not
important. I can provide the
services mentioned above worldwide, because the calculation devices, web forms
and websites I make can be delivered through the Internet to any
locality.
To return to the
top of this website left click on these words.
To go to the main website on budgets
and financial challenges left click here.