"junkmandan" wrote
in message ...

How can I insert a simple sum formula without a "0" appearing in the
cell until the formula has been applied. Thanks

Here's an example from one of my sheets:
=IF($A14=0,"",$A14*G14)

Try constructing something similar, and pay attention to the commas.

Another option is to use the ISBLANK function, which tests to see if a
certain cell is blank. Start Excel's help system and search for ISBLANK.