Students also learn how to use the sum function to calculate a total from a column of values and to input a simple formula for subtracting expenses in a budget.

The instructions are for Microsoft Excel 2007 version, but the data and chart can be recreated using any of the various Excel versions or even non Microsoft variants. I have used this successfully with grades 4 - 5 but your mileage may vary.

Grade 3 and up

This lesson builds on the Excel Expense Budget lesson by adding the following requirement:

Create a simple formula to subtract expenses in a shopping budget.

Excel Shopping Budget with Chart:

Excel Shopping Budget with Chart

Follow these instructions to make your Excel budget and chart.

Enter your chart title in cell C1.
Click in cell C1 and drag mouse to cell H1. In the Home tab, alignment group, find and apply "Merge and Center" to the title.
With the title still selected, on the Home tab, Font group, apply a new font color, font size and font style.
Enter "Allowance" in cell A3. Enter "Shopping Expenses" in cell A5.
Enter Items to purchase beginning in cell A6 ending in cell A10. Enter 200.00 in cell B3. Enter cost values beginning in cell B6 ending in cell B10.
Type "Total Expenses" in cell A12. Type "Money Left Over" in cell A14.
Click in cell B12 and then click the Formulas tab on the menu bar. Find and click "AutoSum" in the Function Library group and then press enter to get the expenses total.
Click in cell B14 and enter the formula =B3-B12. Press Enter.
Click in cell B3 and drag the mouse down to cell B14. On the Home tab, number group, find and click the $ sign to convert the number values to currency.
Click in cell A6 and drag mouse down to select all the labels down to cell A10. Continue to drag across to select the adjacent numerical values in column B.
Create a Pie chart. Go to Insert tab > Charts group > Pie > 3D Pie.
Click on the chart. Go to Design tab > Chart layouts group > choose a chart layout that will produce labels and number values in the pie pieces.
Add a Chart Title. Click on the chart.Go to Layout tab > Labels group > choose Chart title "Above Chart". Enter your chart's title.
Click once on the chart to select it. Click a second time on an individual chart piece to select it for a color change. Right click on the selected chart piece and choose Format Data Point. Go to Fill > Solid Fill > Color. Choose a color for your chart piece. Repeat process for each chart piece.
Deselect the chart. Go to Print preview. The chart may be partially cut off if it overlaps column I or J. Choose Page Setup and change the layout to landscape. Print.