This Excel tip blew my mind!

Think of some of the infomercials you’ve seen such as the Snuggie or Ginsu Knives or that spray on hair or the Magic Bullet. They all try to make you think you have a problem that only their product can solve. Chances are, it’s not a real problem. I just had the opposite experience with Excel. I had a real problem that I assumed was just part of life. I learned out of the blue that there was an answer that would make work just a little easier. A big thank you to the ministry of Leila Gharani for sharing this tip.

So, here was my problem. I work in Excel almost every day, and several times a month I will need the sum of numbers in one spreadsheet for an email or message or even another spreadsheet. I thought there were only two ways to solve this:

1. Use a Formula: I could enter the sum formula (e.g., =SUM(A2:A25)). I could then Copy and Paste Values to where I wanted the number. I never liked this method and rarely ever used it.
2. Rely on Short-Term Memory: Highlight all the numbers you want the sum for. On the bottom right, you can see the sum. Quickly repeat that number over and over, and then write it down in the next location. Then you need to double check the number. Although this sounds horrible now that I’m writing it out, it’s the method I have preferred.

Here’s the tip I learned: Just click the sum on the bottom right to copy the number to the clipboard. It is that easy. I’m not sure how long this functionality has been available. I’m hoping it is brand new for the sake of my pride. I show you exactly how in the video. Enjoy!

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Useful Links

• Leila Gharani: https://www.youtube.com/c/LeilaGharani/featured
• Leila’s Excel Tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdT6kz07qp0