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subtracting in Excel old formula

Anonymous
2023-12-22T12:55:53+00:00

okay I've been using =SUM(B35-D41) to subtract since WIN3.1.... Now all of a sudden it's not working

what is a good formula for simple two-cell subtraction for a budget?

I have a running subtraction total down the A column as I run through the month, and =SUM(B35-D41) has been working since to early '90s. I'm tired of playing with trying to fix it ....and it's probably too old to be using.

Thanks!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-12-22T16:42:15+00:00

    You got me on that Rory! My file has been bamboozled... I really appreciate your help!

    I just might have to create a new spreadsheet for 2024.... But this has been bugging me for awhile

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  2. Rory Archibald 18,885 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2023-12-22T13:52:24+00:00

    They may look like numbers, but I pretty much guarantee they are stored as text. What do =ISNUMBER(B35) and =ISNUMBER(D41) return?

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-12-22T13:17:43+00:00

    I've been battling the formula both ways. When I use =B35-D41 I get an error.... all the cells are accounting numbers.

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  4. Rory Archibald 18,885 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2023-12-22T13:03:04+00:00

    You don't need SUM there at all, since the - operator already did the calculation. It would just be =B35-D41

    If you are getting an error with that then one (or both) of the values in those cells is not a number.

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