If you work a lot with numbers, Microsoft Excel is probably one of your most frequently used tools. Whether it's creating financial reports or balance sheets, Excel makes it simple to work with a lot of data thanks to its many built-in functions. But, have you ever thought of Excel beyond the books, in ways that could make your everyday life easier? From creating workout plans to forming a travel itinerary, here are some cool ways to use Excel and get more value out of your Microsoft 365 subscription!

I first stumbled upon these when I saw several useful templates on the mobile version of Excel. The app had templates designed to track your monthly expenses, create invoices, manage an inventory with a list, etc. This made me wonder what other cool tasks can be done with the help of Microsoft Excel. So, I tinkered with the app, spoke with several friends about the fun stuff they've done with it, and came up with some awesome ways that you can use Excel.

5 Plan your workouts

Don't pay for fitness-tracking apps

If you're an avid user of Excel, you no longer need to subscribe to apps that help you plan your workouts. You can now do that on your computer using a fitness plan template on Microsoft Excel. All you have to do is enter metrics like your weight, height, and other body measurements. Then, enter the workouts you perform daily. You can create multiple copies of the template for each day of the week if you split your workout at the gym.

For example, you can have one for leg day, one for chest day, one for arms, etc. Once you have the templates ready, populate the columns with the type of workout you're going to perform. Then, fill in the rest of the details like the number of reps, weights, etc. There are separate categories too, like warm-up, strength training, cardio, etc., which you can edit based on your workout plans. If you want to collate your fitness data in one place without paying for an additional app, Excel will serve you well!

4 Track your calorie intake

Eat healthy

What goes hand-in-hand with a good workout plan is watching your calorie intake. It's important to eat a healthy diet while working out to achieve your fitness goals. That's where Excel comes in handy to help you track the nutritional value of the food you're eating.

The calorie log template allows you to enter what you had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with the amount of calories each dish contained. It then lets you calculate the total number of calories along with the fat percentage. You can regulate your fat intake based on this chart if your aim is to reduce weight or reduce the percentage of fat in your body. It's definitely useful from what I can tell, since I've become more cognizant of what I'm eating throughout the time I've been using it.

3 Keep a tab on your investments

Stay ahead of the markets

If you're like me and your investments are diversified into multiple categories and markets, it can be difficult to keep tabs on them. That's where the investment tracker template comes in extremely handy. Simply enter all the funds and stocks you've invested in along with the categories they belong to.

This helps you segregate your investment portfolio so you get a comprehensive idea of the different industries you've invested in. Personally, I realized after entering my investments into the template that there are certain companies I have invested in that don't interest me anymore, so it helped me exit them.

2 Make travel plans and budgets

Be your own travel agent

One of the biggest challenges I face when planning a vacation is proper planning and budgeting. I find it hard to keep track of all the destinations I want to visit and how much the flights and stays will cost me for the entire tenure. Until now, I used a basic note-taking app, but I still used a calculator alongside it to sum up the expenses.

If you are like me, Excel has you covered in this regard too. The family travel planner template helps you organize your itinerary with options to enter the destinations you're visiting along with the dates and where you'll be staying. On the other hand, the travel expense report template provides you with the option to enter all the expenses you incur during your trip. You can do this while you're traveling to keep track of the money you spend, or use it as a placeholder before you travel to plan your budget.

1 Maintain a medication log

Never miss a pill

If you (or someone you love) have been prescribed a lot of medications and find it hard to keep track of whether you have taken those medicines on a regular basis, you absolutely must check out the medication log template. Not only can you enter the name of the medicines you've been prescribed but also set the dosages and frequencies of each of them. A quick glance at this spreadsheet and you will know exactly when you have to take which medicine.

The best part is you can share this medication log with your doctor so they can make changes to it whenever required. Moreover, if you are making this chart for a caretaker, you can give them a printout of the log so they can give the appropriate medications at regular intervals. Talk about Excel being a literal life-saver!

Excels at versatility

Microsoft Excel is probably one of the most versatile and powerful tools out there. The sheer number of features and functions the app provides is second to none, making it one of the best utilities for productivity. From complex mathematic calculations to helping you plan a vacation, Excel can do it all!