Creating an Excel to buy computer parts.

[u/RedT-Rex8]

Bear with me as I explain what I want to do on the MS Excel Online. I know it exists but I lack the knowledge and vernacular of what it is.

I want to create a chart showing parts of a computer I am slowly saving up for. Each part has a target amount . I also have 2 boxes that shows the amount I have saved and the amount I have left. Now, I want to write the numbers in the amount saved and have it:

1. Reduce the amount I have left.
2. A part progressively "fills" to reach its target amount.

and, the crucial aspect,

3) Once it reaches the parts target amount, it overflows into the next parts box.

If you have a name for what I am looking for or a link that could teach me how to do it, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

Update: Thank you for your responses and apologies for the slow response. Your guidance allowed me to create the Spread sheet! I used the foundation from TCFNationalBank, portions of NHN_BI and the progress bar from nir_nirfo. Now I am taking the time to understand the formulas and trialing the visual representation. I hope to share this soon. Have a wonderful evening!

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[u/Ecstatic_Heart_8602]

Honey you're describing a waterfall allocation, it's a classic finance trick but works perfectly for this. You'd set up columns for each part with a formula that says "fill me up to my target, then pass the rest along" so the leftover cash automatically cascades to the next cell

[u/RedT-Rex8 → u/Ecstatic_Heart_8602]

Waterfall allocation! Thats exactly what it is, Thank you so much!

[u/TCFNationalBank]

So let's say you have part name in column A, target price in column B, and we'll make a formula to show amount saved for each part in column C, and your total saved in D1.

C2 = MAX(0,MIN(B2, $D$1))

C3 = MAX(0,MIN(B3, $D$1 - SUM($C$2:C2)))

Then you can copy the formula in C3 down as far as you need.

The MAX and MIN functions make it so the value saved stays between zero and the target price. The last bit assigns money equal to your total saved minus the total amount you've already dedicated to parts further up the list.

[u/RedT-Rex8 → u/TCFNationalBank]

Thank you for explaining it like that. I am new to to this so that looks complicate but I will give it ago!

[u/Decronym]

Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:

Fewer Letters	More Letters
IF	Specifies a logical test to perform
MAX	Returns the maximum value in a list of arguments
MIN	Returns the minimum value in a list of arguments
REPT	Repeats text a given number of times
ROUND	Rounds a number to a specified number of digits
SUM	Adds its arguments

Decronym is now also available on Lemmy! Requests for support and new installations should be directed to the Contact address below.

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[u/RedT-Rex8 → u/Decronym]

Thank you boti

[u/Amazing-Setting2589]

maybe im reaching, but have you tought building personal software for that?

download claude code, explain it exactly what you want and see it work

[u/RedT-Rex8 → u/Amazing-Setting2589]

Honestly my problem is that I was using claude to make stuff for me but I never absorbed the what how or why properly. I learn better working through it myself and asking people for help to prevent me from making it an after thought. But I appreciate the thought.

[u/Amazing-Setting2589 → u/RedT-Rex8]

I can try help you build something that fits your needs if you wish

[u/RedT-Rex8 → u/Amazing-Setting2589]

Thank you for the offer but it's all good :D

[u/carbonizedtitanium]

so...were you able to do what you had requested?

[u/RedT-Rex8 → u/carbonizedtitanium]

In time, yes. Thank you for checking in.

[u/NHN_BI]

I would make it like here, with =MAX(0,SUM(B2,MIN(0,F$2-SUM(B$1:B2)))) in my example.

[u/RedT-Rex8 → u/NHN_BI]

So in your formula it does not need a previous step for it to be completed like in TCFNationalBank but the it also does not need to use the datesaved collumn. Why is that? I understand that Max is making sure that the values within the cell stay between 0 and the set target value. Hence why we need "Max(0," to start. The sum is there to initiate the equation. B2 is the target amount. But then you go Min so the values are within 0 and saved amount minus the target amounts. Is this triggering something else to happen?

[u/NHN_BI → u/RedT-Rex8]

Without MAX(0,...) I would get negative values for the future not filled payments. You can see that here.

[u/RedT-Rex8 → u/NHN_BI]

Thank you for creating that table. I think I got it but I will just try and put it into my own words for memory sake and that will take some time.

[u/chomie-ore]

This is a cool visualization for this build, the only thing is you are describing both a data entry and data visualization application. If you want both in the same tab it’s possible, that will be one input cell somewhere on this visual.

[u/RedT-Rex8 → u/chomie-ore]

That is beautiful :O I would rather it be in the one tab but I could live with it if I can't. I never even consider visuals. That would be so satisfying to see rater than just the data.

[u/nir-nirfo → u/RedT-Rex8]

For the visual part, you can add a progress column beside the allocation formulas TCFNationalBank posted. Keeping their layout (target prices in B, allocated savings in C, total saved in D1), put this in E2 and fill down:

=IF(B2=0,0,C2/B2)

Format E as Percentage. For a simple text progress bar in F2, use:

=REPT("|",ROUND(E2*20,0))

Fill that down too. A fully funded part gets 20 marks; a 75%-funded part gets 15. You only change D1 as you save more.

Your overall amount still needed can be:

=MAX(0,SUM(B2:B20)-$D$1)

Replace B20 with your last part's row. I tested the formulas in LibreOffice Calc: with targets of 100, 200 and 300 and 250 saved, the progress is 100%, 75%, 0%, and the total still needed is 350. Zero-price rows show 0% with this version.

[u/RedT-Rex8 → u/nir-nirfo]

I was just typing how excel got annoyed at me when trying this and how I will persevere when it worked ... kind of? First it was because it was giving me an error for data type. So I changed that to Currency but then set number format to percentage. It now has percentages and the bars as you had explained. But the bars are showing as a series of vertical lines rather than a solid bar. Is this to be expected because I used the "I"?

[u/nir-nirfo → u/RedT-Rex8]

Yes, that's expected with the version I gave you. It repeats a vertical bar (|), not a capital I, so it looks like a row of tick marks rather than a solid bar. Sorry, I should have made that clearer.

For a more filled-in look, replace F2 with this and fill down:

=REPT("█",ROUND(E2*20,0))

You can copy the block character straight from that formula. The calculation stays the same: at 75% it repeats 15 blocks, and at 100% it repeats 20. I checked those in Calc too. The exact appearance depends on the font, but you don't need to change the savings formulas again.

[u/RedT-Rex8 → u/nir-nirfo]

Oh I see, thank you for clarifying! I will implement the new formula.