How do you add extra value to a cell that already has an existing number in it

Question

I find this hard to explain, but I'm stocktaking beers, spirits, and liqueurs and I want to keep one column for my ullage count for each product. However, as I go through the days, I often come across the same product lots of times and I don't want to have to keep adding it up in my head, then adding each one to the old number or having a column for each day.

For example, day one in the ullage diary, one vodka is spilled, so I input that. Then, I get a few days in and another two vodkas are spilled. Is there a way of inputting the second number in the same cell without having to do mental arithmetic?

This is really a very simplified example and obviously the numbers involved are super easy to add together, it's more about getting the most out of Excel and not about me not having the mental capacity to add two very small numbers together, because I do. Honest.

In my head I thought it would be good if once you select the cell if you hold alt and whatever you type would be added to that number.

Solution 1

There IS a simple way of doing this.

Say you have 50 in the cell in question, and want to add 30 to it.

Type 30 in a random cell somewhere else. Copy (Ctrl-C) that cell

Then the clever part: Right-click on the cell with 50 in it, and select Paste Special. In the box that comes up, select 'Add'.

This will add the value directly, without you having to do any mental arithmatic

Hope that helps.

Solution 2

If you select the cell and edit in the function window you can do math, easly.

=1+4-2 

I am not aware of anyway short of some more complex reporting approaches to meet your goal.

There are a number of other ways like creating forms and such, but I get the impression you are looking for a simple solution.

Solution 3

Not easily. This would require VBA or a macro as cells within Excel don't have a "memory" to retain what was already in that cell.

Excel really isn't the correct method for tracking inventory this way. An Access database may serve a better purpose.

Comments

[Burgi]

Can you expand on how the OP would introduce these buttons? Currently your answer is very low quality.

[ChrisF]

Unfortunately this doesn't work if you've selected multiple cells.