Not being an experienced user of Excel, I have a problem thats driving me crazy. I have built a budget sheet which shows total spending for the month. The next cell shows the expected spending for the month. The third cell will show the difference between the other two. The problem is that the expected spending might be a negative number and the total spending shows a positive number but I can't get the difference cell to show the correct amount.

ie. a3 $22.00 a4 -$20.00 a5 $42.00

Formula is =a3-a4. Can someone help.

George,
What is the "correct" answer?
--
Jim Cone
San Francisco, USA
http://www.realezsites.com/bus/primitivesoftware


"George Sibley"

wrote in message
Not being an experienced user of Excel, I have a problem thats driving
me crazy. I have built a budget sheet which shows total spending for
the month. The next cell shows the expected spending for the month.
The third cell will show the difference between the other two. The
problem is that the expected spending might be a negative number and
the total spending shows a positive number but I can't get the
difference cell to show the correct amount.
ie. a3 $22.00 a4 -$20.00 a5 $42.00
Formula is =a3-a4. Can someone help.
--
George Sibley

George, are you saying that the expected spending amount may be either
positive or negative but should be treated as if it were only positive. So,
for example if a3 = 100 and a4 = 25 that would yield a5 = 75. But, if a4 =
-25, a5 would still be 75?

If that's the behaviour you want then set a5 = a3-ABS(a4)

"George Sibley" wrote:


Not being an experienced user of Excel, I have a problem thats driving
me crazy. I have built a budget sheet which shows total spending for
the month. The next cell shows the expected spending for the month.
The third cell will show the difference between the other two. The
problem is that the expected spending might be a negative number and
the total spending shows a positive number but I can't get the
difference cell to show the correct amount.

ie. a3 $22.00 a4 -$20.00 a5 $42.00

Formula is =a3-a4. Can someone help.




--
George Sibley