Google Sheets Tips & Tricks
Below you will find a selection of tips and tricks for using our spreadsheets on Google Sheets!
If you have any questions and cannot find an answer to your questions be sure to check out our help desk with more FAQs. You can also reach out to us on Etsy, we will always try our best to get back to you within 24 hours.
Changing The Colours of Your Spreadsheet
We have setup almost all of our spreadsheets to allow you to change the colours of your spreadsheet in just seconds. Changing the colours will allow you to customise the spreadsheet more to your liking! All you will have to do to change the colours is to change the theme colours. Currently Google Sheets only allows you to change the theme colours in the browser version of Google Sheets. To change your theme colours:
Click on the paint bucket tool in the tool bar
Next to the word “Custom” you will see a pencil icon
Click on the pencil icon
You will now be able to change the theme colours, changing them here will update them in the whole spreadsheet
Sorting Your Log Transactions
Almost all of our budget spreadsheets contain a log tab where you can enter your transactions. Now you might be adding transactions as you go, or perhaps adding them from the shoebox of receipts you have! While slowly adding more you realise your transactions are all out of order, making it hard to find your transactions back. For this reason we have set up the log tab to allow you to sort your transactions in just seconds, all you will have to do is:
Right click on the A column title
Click on “Sort Sheet A to Z”
This will immediately sort all your transactions in order, and you can repeat this step as many times as needed in the future! This way you do not have to worry about sorting your transactions yourself anymore, the spreadsheet will do the work for you!
Hiding Rows
If you have been using your spreadsheet for a while you might have a log tab that is getting really long, and scrolling down every time to add a transaction can get quite tedious! In this case we always recommend hiding rows. Hiding rows will allow you to keep the data, so you can still see your data on your budget overviews, but this way you can hide any information you don’t need on a daily basis. Hiding rows will also allow you to unhide them at any time in case you need the info on the rows again. To hide rows simply do the following (in the browser version of Google Sheets):
Click on the top row number you want to hide
Hold shift
Click on the bottom row number you want to hide
Now right click on the selected area and click “Hide Rows”
Your rows are now hidden, to unhide them just click on the two little black arrows that are visible in the row bar. Hiding rows can also be useful for those who want to create a more compact overview on their budget tab, or, for example their payment planner or annual overview tab.
Adding Rows in Your Log Tab
Most of our budgets have a log tab that has space for ± 1000 transactions, however, it you have been using your budget for a while you might realise that you need more! Luckily you can add as many more as you need. All you have to do is take the following steps (in the browser version of Google Sheets):
Scroll all the way to the bottom of the tab
Type in the amount of rows you want to add and click on the “Add” button
While the rows are added you will now still have to add the formatting, to add the formatting take the following steps:
Click on a row number that has the added formatting (line separators and currency signs)
Right click on the selected row and click “Copy” (alternatively you can also click ctrl + c or cmd + c)
Now select the newly added rows by clicking on the top row, holding shift and clicking on the bottom row
Right click on the newly selected rows and select "Paste” (alternatively you can also click ctrl + v or cmd + v)
This will add the formatting to all the newly added rows!
Duplicating a Tab
Duplicating a tab can be useful for those who want to create a copy of an overview tab, for example an annual overview, monthly overview or any other budget overview. Duplicating a tab will create an exact copy of your tab, including all information and it will only take you seconds to do! We do recommend duplicating tabs through the browser and not through the Google Sheets app as this seems to alter the column sizes of the copy, which influences the design. To duplicate a tab:
Right click on the tab name (or click on the little arrow)
Click duplicate
Right clicking on the tab name will also allow you to rename the tab, delete the tab or to create another tab!
Easy Formatting With the Paint roller Tool
If you have entered transactions and realised the date format or font looks a bit different, for example because you copied and pasted info in, then it might be good to know that you can change the style back to the original design in just seconds with the paint roller tool! To use the paint roller tool (in the browser version of Google Sheets):
Click on a field or fields that has the original design, the design you want the newly added information to look like
Click on the paint roller tool
Now, click and drag over the newly added information, the original style or design will be added for you!
Change the Date Entry Format
The Google Sheets spreadsheets are standard set to have a mm/dd/yyyy date entry in every date field. While you can double click to select a date we know you might like to type in the date manually instead. If you are not from the USA and prefer to use a dd/mm/yyyy entry you can easily switch this! To do this (in the browser version of Google Sheets):
Click on File
Clicking on Settings
Change the country to your country of residence. If you live in the USA but prefer to use a dd/mm/yyyy entry pick a country outside of the USA (such as the UK) to change the date format entry.
It might be good to know that this changes the way you can enter the days, it does not change the ways it shows the days! If you want to change this you can click on the fields for which you would like the format to change and click on Format > Number > Custom Date and Time. This will allow you to change it to any format you like!
access & Share Your Spreadsheet
Share it with us
If at any point in time you are experiencing issues with your spreadsheet, or for example, deleted formulas that alter the function of the spreadsheet be sure to contact us on Etsy. If your issue is specifically related to your spreadsheet be sure to include a link to the spreadsheet so we can assist you straight away:
Click on the “Share” button in the top right corner
In the bottom click on “anyone with a link” and most important “editor”
Click copy link and send it to us in the Etsy chat, as well with a description of what issue you are experiencing
After we have had a look at your spreadsheet, and possibly restored the sections that are not functioning, you can change it back to restricted so we won’t have further access. We will always do our best to get back to you within 24 hours.
Access Your Spreadsheet From Multiple Accounts
If you would like to access the spreadsheet with multiple Google Accounts, for example because you would like to share your budget with your partner. Take the following steps:
In the top right corner of the spreadsheet you will see a big green “Share” button, click it.
In the bar that says “add people or groups” type in the email address of the person you would like to share the spreadsheet with
Pick what kind of access you would like to give the person you would like to add:
Viewer: the person can see the data in the spreadsheet but not make any changes
Editor: The person can view the spreadsheet and make changes
Owner: the person can view, edit, and has the option to now remove you from the spreadsheet
Click on the send button
Access Your Spreadsheet on Your Phone or Tablet
While we recommend opening the spreadsheet for the first time on your computer or laptop, there are no restrictions on which devices you can open or edit your spreadsheet. If you would like to access your spreadsheet on your tablet or phone we highly recommend downloading the Google Sheets app (available for Android and Apple devices) to make accessing the spreadsheets easier.
Make Your Spreadsheet Available Offline
While you will need an internet browser to edit your spreadsheet, Google Sheets has made it possible for you to edit and access your spreadsheet offline. You can find more information regarding using and editing your spreadsheet online on the Google Docs Help Platform here.