TIPS & TRICKS

Below you will find a variety of helpful tips and tricks for using our Google Sheets spreadsheet templates. Step-by-step instructions and short videos are provided to guide you in getting the most out of your spreadsheet!

If you cannot find the answer you’re searching for below, be sure to check out our FAQ page. Also, you can always reach out to us on Etsy, and we will get back to you within two business days.

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How To Hide and Unhide Rows

You may find that there are blank rows on your spreadsheet that you don’t use, or rows of data that you don’t need to see regularly. If these extra rows cause unnecessary scrolling, we suggest you hide the rows to minimize the space and save time. Hiding rows will preserve the rows and data while giving you a “cleaner” workspace. When you want to access these rows and data, simply unhide the rows.

To hide and unhide rows, just follow these steps in the browser version of Google Sheets:

Determine which rows you want to hide
Click on the top row number to the very left of the spreadsheet
Hold down the shift key
Click on the bottom row number you want to hide
Right click on the selected area and choose “Hide Rows”
To unhide the rows, click on the two small black arrows that you’ll see in the row number bar to the very left of the spreadsheet

How To Sort A Table By Date

In your spreadsheet, you have the option to enter payday and due dates for your Income, Bills, Debt, and Giving categories. After you’ve entered the subcategories and dates, you may find you want to list them in date order.

To sort a table of data by date (or any column heading, such as name or amount), follow these steps:

Determine which table you want to sort
Click on the first column name in the table
Hold down the shift key
Click on the last cell of the last row you want to include in the sort. You must sort the entire table of data in order to keep your entries intact. Highlighted rows must be complete (no partial rows) and in the same table.
While the rows are highlighted, choose from the top menu Data > Sort Range > Advanced Range Sorting Options. The Sort Range window will open.
Click “Data has header row”
Choose from the dropdown menu which column you want to sort by, and which order. For example, to sort by due date, you would choose the DUE column and sort by ascending order (A to Z)

How To Move Tabs

Your Google Sheet spreadsheet likely includes several tabs. You may want to rearrange the order of the tabs so your most-used tabs are at the beginning.

To move tabs, just follow these steps:

Determine which tab you want to move
Click and hold on the tab, then start “sliding” the tab toward its new position. The cursor will turn into an arrow cross as you move the tab.
Once the tab is in its new position, release the tab to set it into place

How To Change Location

All of our spreadsheets are created with default formatting for the United States. You can change your location in order to change the spreadsheet’s default currency, date, and number formatting. You can also change the language.

To change you location, follow these steps:

While you are in Google Sheets, click on File > Settings from the top menu
Click on the General tab
Under Locale, choose the new location from the dropdown menu
Choose your preferred time zone
To change the language, click the language listed next to “Display language”. This may open a new tab.
Click the pencil icon next to the current language
Choose from the list of languages shown, or start typing your preferred language
If asked, choose the country for your preferred language, then click Save
Click back to the tab where you have Google Sheets opened, and click Save Settings

How To Change Date Format

Google Sheets offers several date formatting options. The formats chosen for our spreadsheets are typically for design or spacing reasons. However, you may preferr a different formatting.

To change the date formatting, follow these steps:

In the DATE column, click on the top cell for the first date entry
Press and hold the SHIFT key while you click the bottom cell for the last date entry
While the cells are highlighted, click Format > Number from the top menu
Scroll all the way down and choose Custom Date and Time
Select your preferred formatting, then click Apply

How To Duplicate a Tab

For some of our spreadsheets products, you may want to duplicate a tab in order to reuse the template for a different month or year.

To duplicate a tab in your Google Sheet spreadsheet, follow these steps:

While you are in your spreadsheet, click on the tab you want to duplicate
Click the down arrow on the tab to open a menu
Choose Duplicate from the menu
Click the down arrow on the new tab, and select Rename
Rename the new tab

How To Change the Color Palette

Google Sheets allows for a custom color palette with a maximum of 6 colors. If you change any color in the palette, the entire spreadsheet will update with the new color! This makes it easy and fast to personalize your spreadsheet.

To change any color in the color palette:

Open your Google Sheets spreadsheet to any tab
Click on the paint bucket tool in the toolbar at the top, which will open up the color selection window
Click on the pencil icon right next to “CUSTOM”
The Themes sidebar will open. Scroll down to see colors for Accent 1 through Accent 6
Click the down arrow next to any of the color swatches and choose a different color
The new color will replace the old color throughout the spreadsheet

How To Change the Viewing Size

Spreadsheets can require a lot of space, and you may have to scroll vertically or horizontally to see all of it. If you’d like to see more of your spreadsheet in the window, you can decrease the viewing size. The opposite is also true – if you want to zoom in and make the spreadsheet bigger, you can do that too!

To change the viewing size of your spreadsheet, just follow these steps:

While you have your spreadsheet open, click the dropdown menu with the percentage from the toolbar at the top
Choose a smaller percentage to decrease the viewing size of the spreadsheet. Choose a larger percentage to zoom in.
You can also double click on the percentage, which will highlight the current number. You can then type in an exact percentage you want.

How To Change the Row Size

If you want more space in your spreadsheet layout, you can increase the row size. Just keep in mind that this change affects the entire row, which could impact more than one table or section in your spreadsheet.

To change the row size, there are a few options:

For one row, click on the number of the row you want to resize, which you’ll find to the very left of the spreadsheet. Position the cursor on the top or bottom border of that row number so the cursor changes to a double arrow. Then, click and drag down or up to resize the row.
To resize multiple rows to the same size, click on the row number of the first row you want to resize. Hold down the SHIFT key and then click on the row number of the last row you want to resize. This will highlight all the rows you want to resize. Position the cursor on any row number border so the cursor changes to a double arrow. Then, click and drag up or down to resize all rows at the same time.
To resize either one row or multiple rows to an exact height, highlight the row or rows by clicking on the row numbers. Right-click anywhere on the highlighted rows, and choose “Resize rows”. You can either enter a specific number of pixlels or choose “Fit to Data”.

How To Fix Formatting with the Paint Roller Tool

After you’ve used your spreadsheet for a while, you may find that some cells have different formatting than the rest. Fortunately, there is an easy fix!

To copy formatting from one cell to another, follow these steps:

Highlight the cell or cells that has the formatting you want to copy.
While the cells are highlighted, click on the Paint Roller tool on the top toolbar. This “copies” the formatting of the highlighted cells.
Next, click and drag over the cells you want to change. When you release, these cells will now be updated with the copied formatting.

How To Share A Spreadsheet

One of the great benefits of using Google Sheets is that you can share the file with anyone, and give that person access to view and/or edit from their own personal device. This is very helpful when you are budgeting with a partner or group!

To share your Google Spreadsheet:

For one row, click on the number of the row you want to resize, which you’ll find to the very left of the spreadsheet. Position the cursor on the top or bottom border of that row number so the cursor changes to a double arrow. Then, click and drag down or up to resize the row.
To resize multiple rows to the same size, click on the row number of the first row you want to resize. Hold down the SHIFT key and then click on the row number of the last row you want to resize. This will highlight all the rows you want to resize. Position the cursor on any row number border so the cursor changes to a double arrow. Then, click and drag up or down to resize all rows at the same time.
To resize either one row or multiple rows to an exact height, highlight the row or rows by clicking on the row numbers. Right-click anywhere on the highlighted rows, and choose “Resize rows”. You can either enter a specific number of pixlels or choose “Fit to Data”.

How To Use Your Spreadsheet Offline

After you’ve used your spreadsheet for a while, you may find that some cells have different formatting than the rest. Fortunately, there is an easy fix!

To copy formatting from one cell to another, follow these steps:

Highlight the cell or cells that has the formatting you want to copy.
While the cells are highlighted, click on the Paint Roller tool on the top toolbar. This “copies” the formatting of the highlighted cells.
Next, click and drag over the cells you want to change. When you release, these cells will now be updated with the copied formatting.

How To Recover A Deleted Formula

To share your Google Spreadsheet:

For one row, click on the number of the row you want to resize, which you’ll find to the very left of the spreadsheet. Position the cursor on the top or bottom border of that row number so the cursor changes to a double arrow. Then, click and drag down or up to resize the row.
To resize multiple rows to the same size, click on the row number of the first row you want to resize. Hold down the SHIFT key and then click on the row number of the last row you want to resize. This will highlight all the rows you want to resize. Position the cursor on any row number border so the cursor changes to a double arrow. Then, click and drag up or down to resize all rows at the same time.
To resize either one row or multiple rows to an exact height, highlight the row or rows by clicking on the row numbers. Right-click anywhere on the highlighted rows, and choose “Resize rows”. You can either enter a specific number of pixlels or choose “Fit to Data”.