Your first useful entry
Get started with your workbook
A useful workbook starts with one real entry. Here is how to download your files, open a working copy and check that it is ready for your information.
1. Find your download link
For a free workbook, enter your email on its download page. Check your inbox and spam folder for the download email. Your private free-download link expires after seven days; the files you download do not expire. Newsletter sign-up is a separate, optional choice.
For a paid product, follow the download link supplied after checkout or in your order email. Paid-order links have a different expiry from free-download links. Keep your order email for reference.
2. Extract the ZIP and keep an original copy
Download the ZIP to a folder you can find again. Extract its contents before opening the workbook: on Windows, right-click the ZIP and choose Extract All; on a Mac, double-click the ZIP.
Keep the original ZIP somewhere safe. Make a separate working copy of the workbook and give it a recognisable name, such as My budget — September. Read any instructions included with your product before editing.
3. Choose the supplied edition that suits your records
Products differ. If your download includes regional editions, check the filenames and instructions and choose the one that fits the dates and currency you use. Some workbooks have one currency-neutral edition.
A currency label or regional edition does not convert amounts at live exchange rates or make a workbook suitable for a particular country's tax rules. Keep the units consistent in your working copy and follow the product's stated scope.
4. Open the workbook in your chosen spreadsheet app
The workbook files use the Excel .xlsx format. Open your working copy in Excel, or upload the XLSX file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. If you choose to convert it to a Google Sheets file, retain the original XLSX too. Access to Excel or a Google account is not included with your download.
After importing, check the dates, currency formatting, dropdowns and calculated cells that your workbook uses. Spreadsheet applications can display or handle features differently. An import option is not a promise that every feature will behave identically.
5. Enter one real item and check the result
Start with a single expense, client, meal or task, depending on your workbook. Use the input areas identified in its instructions and leave formula cells intact. If it includes sample information, use the instructions to distinguish that from your own records before relying on any totals.
Check that the entry appears where you expect it. For a money workbook, compare a simple total with your own calculation and the source record. For a planner, check the date and the next action. Save your working copy, close it and reopen it to make sure your entry is there.
Once that works, add the next few items. You do not need to fill every section before the workbook can become useful.
Need another download link?
- Free workbook: return to its product page and request another email. You can find the free range in the template shop.
- Paid purchase: use download recovery with the email address used for your order. If there is an eligible paid order, a fresh link will be emailed. Check your inbox and spam folder.
- Something still looks wrong: email [email protected] with the product name, the spreadsheet app you are using and what happened. Do not send a workbook containing private financial or client information.
Ready to choose a workbook? Browse the template shop, or return to your product page to review exactly what is included.