Excel formulas for budget tracking and currency conversion

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1

I’m working on a budget spreadsheet and need help with some formulas. Here’s what I’m trying to do:

  1. I have a list of expenses in one column and their prices in Korean Won (KRW) in another.
  2. I want to automatically copy the expense names to a different column.
  3. I need to convert the KRW prices to USD in another column.

The tricky part is that I have some data in the first few rows of these columns, so I can’t just use simple array formulas. I’ve tried things like:

=V6:V*GOOGLEFINANCE("CURRENCY:KRWUSD")
=arrayformula(U6:U)

But they don’t work because of the existing data. Is there a way to make these formulas start from a specific row and automatically update as I add new expenses? I’m looking to save time by not having to copy-paste formulas for each new entry. Any ideas would be really helpful!

2

I’ve been maintaining a multi-currency budget for years, and I feel your pain with those formula headaches. Here’s a trick that’s saved me countless hours: use the QUERY function. It’s incredibly versatile for situations like yours.

For copying expenses, try this:
=QUERY(U:U, "SELECT U WHERE U IS NOT NULL LIMIT " & MAX(1, COUNTA(U:U)-5), 0)

And for currency conversion:
=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(ROW(V:V)<=5, V:V, QUERY(V:V, “SELECT V*” & GOOGLEFINANCE(“CURRENCY:KRWUSD”) & " WHERE V IS NOT NULL OFFSET 5", 0)))

These formulas will automatically adjust as you add new entries, skipping the first 5 rows. They’re a bit complex at first glance, but they’re incredibly powerful once you get the hang of them. Just make sure to adjust the column letters and row numbers to match your specific spreadsheet layout.

3

hey there! for copying expenses, try =OFFSET(U6,0,0,COUNTA(U6:U)-1,1). to convert KRW to USD, use =ARRAYFORMULA(IF(ROW(V6:V)<=5,V6:V,V6:V*GOOGLEFINANCE(“CURRENCY:KRWUSD”))). these should work from row 6 onwards and update automatically. hope this helps!

4

I’ve encountered similar challenges with budget tracking across currencies. For copying expenses, you might consider using an INDIRECT function combined with ROW to dynamically reference cells starting from row 6. Something like =INDIRECT(“U”&ROW():“U”) could work. As for currency conversion, a nested IF statement within ARRAYFORMULA can handle the existing data issue. Try =ARRAYFORMULA(IF(ROW(V:V)>5, V:V*GOOGLEFINANCE(“CURRENCY:KRWUSD”), V:V)). This should convert KRW to USD from row 6 onward while preserving your header data. Remember to adjust cell references as needed for your specific sheet layout.