Accounting Spreadsheets and Calculators

Add up savings with free or low-cost business accounting spreadsheets and calculators
By Rose Bricker, Freelance Writer You can often eliminate costly accounting software by using spreadsheets for accounting. Spreadsheet software is no longer limited to Microsoft Excel. You can even get free spreadsheet software, thereby eliminating the cost of accounting software altogether.

Things to consider when looking for accounting spreadsheets and calculators:

1. Explore the spreadsheet software to see if accountancy spreadsheets are included in the templates.
2. Work with the software and see how easy it is to create your own accounting spreadsheets.
3. Look at the software on the market; there are some inexpensive software packages that you can use to create your financial accounting spreadsheets.
4. Shop for accounting calculators; some stores will give you discounts if you purchase in quantity. Alternatively, you may find some inexpensive financial calculators for accounting.

Download a free software package for spreadsheets and accounting

After downloading the spreadsheet software, install it on your computer. Then try the software. Check the templates to see if any of them are for accountancy spreadsheets.
Try:  The top free spreadsheet software is Open Office, which is completely compatible with Microsoft Office. IBM Lotus Symphony Spreadsheets is also a highly rated free spreadsheet software program, and it too is compatible with Microsoft Excel. You can create spreadsheets or use the templates that are already included in the package.

Find free accounting spreadsheets that you can use in your business

Rather than having to find templates in the spreadsheet software you downloaded, you can download the specific spreadsheets that you need for your business.
Try:  Jax Works is a small-business spreadsheet factory that offers all sorts of spreadsheets for accounting. You can find balance sheets, purchase logs, income statements and expense reports to name just a few of the spread sheets for accounting that they offer. You can also find many accounting templates at Systems Modelling Ltd.

Buy inexpensive software for accounting spreadsheets

Although there are many choices for free spreadsheet software, they don't always offer technical support or other advanced features. It may be beneficial to look for inexpensive spreadsheets for accounting that offer more sophistication than free downloads.
Try:  Star Office is one of the best spreadsheet software packages on the market and is also affordable. You can create your own templates for your accounting records from balance sheets to general ledgers. It is completely compatible with Microsoft Excel. You can also use Microsoft Works, which comes many new computers. It has excellent spreadsheet templates and is completely compatible with Microsoft Excel. If you don’t have it, you can order it online.

Find accounting calculators that will make your record keeping easier

Accounting calculators offer more functions than standard calculators. You can calculate sales tax, finance charges and interest rates much easier than on a regular calculator. Find free accounting calculators online so you don't have to worry about spending more when starting up your business.
Try:  Softplatz.com has 150 different accounting calculators that you can download for your business. Some are free; others require purchase. Burn Xbox Games also offers both free and low-cost online accounting calculators.  Find a handy selection of free financial calculators for accounting at CCH.

• Remember to have an anti virus program installed on your computer before downloading accounting spreadsheets or software.
• If you are adding data daily to your accounting spreadsheets you can save your file on your hard drive, but you should also save it to a CD or an external hard drive. This way you don't lose anything if you have computer problems.
• Decide whether downloading accounting calculators or buying them is the right move for you. Shop Best Buy and Comp USA to note the cost of their accounting calculators.