A traditional way of shaping data in Excel is by using the VLOOKUP() function. After identifying the item to look up and the array in which to search for it, a range is identified where the new information can be … Continue reading →
One of the most powerful Excel function tools is the INDEX/MATCH() combination. It can be set to find specific character strings and deliver the cell contents at the intersection of the row and column string matches. This is the third … Continue reading →
When cleaning data files in Excel, one never moves away from manually pushing data around. Manually entering data by hand, sorting, and/or dragging and dropping in a new location; they all take time. But for small amounts of data, a … Continue reading →
The last few months have provided opportunity to flex my spreadsheet skillset. Excel code and technique seemed to erupt through the keyboard. In the last few months, diverse datasets have included: 2024 household food expenditures 2024 household power consumption and … Continue reading →
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) carries significant weight in the flow of decisions and confidence in the US economy. Does the CPI mirror authentic food purchases? YES! Are household food expenditures and the Food … Continue reading →
The price of eggs reported by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics used in the January Consumer Price Index (CPI), was $4.95 per dozen. In many places it is higher than this. In the Midwest if you know where to … Continue reading →
In a January 21, LinkedIn post about a 1/19/25 Wall Street Journal Article on food prices rising in December, it was speculated that it is traditional food eating month. If prices were going to rise in an annual cycle, December … Continue reading →
The last few years have been an inflationary roller coaster. On September 26, nearly 50 years of US inflation was used to illustrate HOW NOT TO USE inflation (spurious correlation). Part of understanding what charts of inflation actually mean, is … Continue reading →
