You have already toured the template gallery and shortlisted templates that could underpin your Module 3 spreadsheet work. Today you open a ready-made budget template, learn how its built-in formulas work, and adapt it for your Something Real project without breaking anything. By the end of the lesson you will have {{code:sm3_from_template.xlsx}} sitting in your portfolio as the working base you keep building on for the rest of this module.
Think of a form you have filled in online (a job application, a Leap Card top-up page, a school absence form). Which parts could you change freely, and which parts were locked so the form still worked? Keep that idea in mind: a spreadsheet template is the same kind of deal.
Before you change any numbers, get these four ideas straight. They are what keep a spreadsheet working.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Template — a ready-made spreadsheet with labels, layout, and formulas already set up | You start from a structure that already works, so you spend time on your project data instead of rebuilding columns from scratch | A budget template for a Work Experience kit list already has a Total column ready to sum your costs in euro |
| Built-in formula — a calculation the template author wrote into a cell (often SUM, AVERAGE, or a simple multiply) | If you type over a formula cell, the automatic total dies and you may not notice until a number looks wrong later | Cell {{code:D12}} shows {{formula:=SUM(D2:D11)}}; typing 40 on top of it replaces the formula with a fixed number |
| Sample data — placeholder numbers and labels the template ships with so you can see how it works | You replace sample rows with your real project data, but you leave formula cells alone | A template might show "Sample product pack / €12.50"; you swap that for your real item, such as "Vinyl sheets / €8.50" |
| Adapt, don't rebuild — change labels, categories, and data values while keeping the formula structure intact | Your Something Real spreadsheet stays consistent and still calculates when you add or edit rows later in the module | Rename "Category" to "Expense" for your enterprise pitch, keep the Total formula, then enter five real costs |
In the step-by-step task you will adapt a simple budget template for a fictional side hustle: Niamh's custom phone-sticker packs, sold locally around Galway. You open a starter that already has formulas, replace only the sample value rows with five real cost lines, keep currency formatting in euro, and prove the live total still calculates. You will then do the same pattern with your own Something Real project.
Follow the platform tabs for your spreadsheet app. You will open the ready-made budget starter in your {{code:sm3}} folder (or a Budget template from the gallery if your teacher directs you there), copy it as {{code:sm3_from_template.xlsx}}, inspect the built-in formulas in the formula bar, replace only the sample value rows with Niamh's five sticker-business costs, and confirm the totals still calculate. This is the model for the portfolio file you keep for Something Real next.
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| My total shows a fixed number and no longer changes when I edit a cost | You probably typed over the SUM cell — that is a very common slip, not a disaster. Click the total cell, re-enter {{formula:=SUM(D2:D6)}} (or your real range), and press {{key:Enter}}. From now on, only edit value cells, not formula cells. |
| Column D shows the same number on every row after I edited data | A line-total formula may have been replaced with a typed value. Click the first broken cell, put back {{formula:=B2*C2}} (adjust the row number), press {{key:Enter}}, then autofill down only if your teacher confirms the starter used autofill. Prefer fixing one formula cell at a time. |
| Currency shows $ or no euro symbol | Select the money cells only (unit costs, then totals) and set Format / Number to Currency, then choose € if your app offers a currency list. On some school accounts the default is USD until you change it once. Do not format the Quantity column as currency. |
| I cannot find {{code:sm3}} or {{code:sm3_budget_starter}} | Open {{code:Project_Portfolio}}, then {{code:09_specialism}}. The module folders were set up in Specialism kickoff. If {{code:sm3}} is missing, create that folder now. If the starter is missing, tell your teacher before you build anything from a blank sheet. |
| I created a second file by mistake | Keep one working base only: {{code:sm3_from_template.xlsx}} in {{code:sm3}}. Delete or ignore extra Untitled copies so Key Assignment checks stay simple. |
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