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AsiaOne
15 hours ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
9 free budgeting apps to help you manage your expenses (2025), Money News
It's 2025, and if you're not using budgeting apps, you're missing out on a world of convenience when it comes to tracking your spending. Whether you're looking for a basic app or want one that's packed with features, there's bound to be an app for you. Forget trawling through Excel spreadsheets. Simply enter your expenses into an app — or better yet, link your bank account and let the app do the tracking for you! You'll find out at a glance how much money you'll need for your upcoming holiday or home purchase. Goodbye tedious spreadsheets, hello sleek interfaces. Oh, and did we mention that all the apps featured in this list are free, or include a free version? With a plethora of apps out there, it's never been easier to make a budget and stick to it. TLDR; here's a comparison of the best budgeting apps in Singapore App name Best for Bank account syncing Subscription fees to upgrade to paid plans Household Account Book Budgeting newbies who love cute cartoons No, manual entry required Free Spendee Multi-wallet & currency budgeting Yes with Premium plan, otherwise manual entry with Free and Plus plans S$2.98/month (Plus), S$8.98/month (Premium) Dollarbird Calendar-based forecasting with collaboration No, manual entry required Pro: US$4.99/month (S$6.38) or US$39.99/year (S$51.16) Pro Unlimited: US$6.99/month (S$8.94) or US$59.99/year (S$76.74) Dobin Loans, credit card rewards, smart financial tracking Yes Free Money Manager Feature-packed budgeting with charts & calendars No, but you can arrange automatic debit for credit or debit card bills by linking your card. Free, or S$8.98 one-time (Premium) Monny Gamified budgeting with cute design No, manual entry required Free, or S$3.98 one-time (Premium) MoneyNote No-login, no-frills budgeting No, manual entry required Free Fortune City Budgeting gamified as a city-building sim No, manual entry required Free YNAB Structured budgeting with expert support Yes US$14.99/month (~S$19.18/month) or US$109/year (~S$139.48/year) (after 30-day free trial) 1. Household Account Book - for budgeting newbies who love cute cartoons If you're a fan of cutesy stuff, Household Account Book wins for its adorable cartoon illustrations featuring its mascot Pisuke. The app is pretty simple to use; enter your income and expenses to see how much money you have at month's end. You can also see a breakdown of your expenses in pie chart form. One quirky feature of the app is a comic of two friends on their savings journey — the more you use the app, the more of the comic you can read. Plus, it even offers downloadable wallpapers for your phone. This is a great choice if you're looking for a user-friendly app that's not overly complicated. Why we like it: A cute mascot that encourages us to track our expenses daily. What we dislike: Needs more functions, such as an option to export data to excel or sync your bank account. 2. Spendee - manage unlimited wallets effortlessly on-the-go Spendee's free plan is ideal if you're just getting started and want to manually log your income and expenses. It gives you access to a single cash wallet and lets you categorise your spending to track where your money's going. However, bank account syncing is not available with this plan. Upgrade to Spendee Plus at $2.98/month to unlock more flexibility: Create unlimited cash wallets for different purposes (e.g. travel, events, hobbies) Manage multiple currencies — handy if you travel or spend across countries Share wallets with a partner or family member Set and monitor custom budgets for better financial discipline Connect crypto and e-wallets (like PayPal) If you want to fully automate your tracking, go for Spendee Premium at $8.98/month. This tier includes everything from Plus, but adds the ability to: Sync with your bank accounts directly Automatically import and categorise transactions Get a holistic, real-time view of your financial health Whichever plan you choose, you'll get a 7-day free trial to explore the premium features before committing. Why we like it: Easy and intuitive user interface, plus comes with bank account syncing, multi-wallet and currency support. What we dislike: The lack of widget support means you can't update your expenses as easily (e.g. from the lock screen). 3. Dollarbird - calendar-based budgeting with a touch of AI Dollarbird makes budgeting feel as intuitive as updating a calendar. Its visual-first, timeline-based layout helps you track your expenses day by day, while giving you a forward-looking view of your finances. What really sets Dollarbird apart from other budgeting apps is how intelligently it handles your money data. Its automatic balance forecasting doesn't just reflect your past spending — it actively learns from your habits to predict how your finances will evolve over time, helping you plan ahead with greater confidence. The app also features AI-assisted categorisation that becomes more accurate the more you use it, saving you time by sorting your transactions intuitively. On top of that, Dollarbird supports built-in collaboration, so you can manage shared finances with your partner, family, or team without the confusion of separate tools or spreadsheets. You'll also get: A clean calendar interface to log transactions Real-time daily/monthly balance updates Cloud sync across all devices Note that bank account syncing is not currently available for Dollarbird. Their argument is that manually inputting your spending makes you more aware of it. Here's how the pricing compares: Plan Price (Monthly) Price (Yearly) Calendars Team Members Pro US$4.99 (S$6.38) US$39.99 (S$51.16) 20 3 Pro Unlimited US$6.99 (S$8.94) US$59.99 (S$76.74) Unlimited Unlimited Business Contact for pricing Contact for pricing Unlimited Unlimited Why we like it: The AI-powered forecasting and categorisation tools are genuinely useful, and its shared-calendar format makes it perfect for joint budgeting. What we dislike: You'll need a subscription early on to get the most value. While you can try the app for free, core features like collaboration, syncing, and forecasting are only available with a paid plan. 4. Dobin - Track and compare credit cards rewards, compare loans Singapore-based Dobin aims to help you save, spend and track your expenses better through AI and data analytics to ensure you have a clear view of your finances. The free app links your accounts and cards, automatically tracks your spending, and sees your monthly expenditure so you can spend smarter and adjust your goals accordingly. It's not just a budgeting app though. Based on all that data on your financial habits, Dobin's credit card recommendation tool can help you find a credit card that's suitable for your needs. Dobin also collates and categorises thousands of discounts from brands, saving you precious time searching for shopping deals. An app that not only budgets for you but also aggregates deals and credit card promotions — what's not to like? Additionally, Dobin can also help you fund big-ticket purchases by giving you access to personalised loan offers from trusted banks and lenders. Use the app to compare loan options and find the best rates and terms for your needs. To boost your chances of approval, you can securely share your financial data through the app-making the application process smoother and smarter. Why we like it: You get p ersonalised credit card and loan recommendations tailored to your financial situation. Plus, the app is completely free — Dobin makes money through commissions from merchants and financial institutions when you use a discount or apply for a new credit card or loan. What we dislike: Transactions are not shown in real-time. Refresh your accounts to see the most recent transactions. 5. Money Manager - efficient and feature-packed With its simple, no-frills interface, Money Manager is ideal if you're looking to budget efficiently with minimal fuss. Its double-entry bookkeeping system records all transactions across your accounts while its handy calendar view lets you review your spending weekly or monthly. Clear and organised charts show categorised spending breakdowns like loans and insurance, and you can set budgets for each category. You can also arrange automatic debit for credit or debit card bills by linking your card. You also have the ability to edit currency exchange rates and delete your autocomplete history. The free version comes with plenty of features already, while the paid version ($8.98) requires you to make a one-time in-app purchase for lifetime use. This paid version gets you no ads, access to the PC version for web use, and unlimited assets. On the free version, your assets are limited to 15. Why we like it: Ability to link your card means you don't have to manually track every spending. What we dislike: There are a bit too many ads if you're using the free version. 6. Monny-Gamify your budgeting journey Let's face it, budgeting isn't the most fun activity. Enter Monny, with its friendly namesake bunny mascot and whimsical graphics of an enchanting theme park that is guaranteed to make budgeting more pleasant. Playful appearance aside, the app's simple dashboard that monitors expenses, comprehensive reports and customisable accounts make managing your finances, dare we say, a delightful experience. One possible disadvantage is that bank account syncing is not available, so you'll need to key in your expenses manually. Some with data privacy concerns might feel this is more secure, but others might find this troublesome and more effortful. Unlock the premium version with a one-time purchase ($3.98) to access charts of your top 10 expenses, annual spending trends graphs and pie charts of your monthly spending broken down by category. Plus, you'll have an ad-free experience and passcode lock as an added security feature. Why we like it: Budgeting feels less like a chore when you are playing a game while doing it. What we dislike: Most of the features are locked behind the paid version. 7. MoneyNote - no registration or sign-ups required Hailing from Japan, MoneyNote is a simple household account book app designed to be as easy and hassle-free to use as possible. There's no need to register and no in-app purchases to make — all app features are free. Log your expense or income on the input screen and it automatically creates calendars and reports. Generate annual and monthly analysis reports to learn your average monthly expenses and percentage for each category. You can also set fixed expenses and income, and export your reports as CSV files. Plus, if you're all about aesthetics (maybe you arrange your apps by colour gradient), you'll love that MoneyNote offers 20 vibrant themes and 25 app icons for endless customisation. Why we like it: All the app features are free! Plus, the ability to export reports as CSV files makes it convenient to transfer your reports between devices. What we dislike: There's no way to directly link your bank account, which makes manual input the only option for tracking your expenses. 8. Fortune City - bookkeeping meets city-building fun Fortune City turns budgeting into a fun and engaging experience by blending financial tracking with a city-building simulation. You can monitor your balance weekly, monthly, or seasonally, and use advanced search functions to gain insights into your spending habits. As you record your income and expenses, your city grows and flourishes into a beautiful metropolis. This gamified approach helps you develop good habits, while the intuitive interface makes it easy to track spending and categorise transactions with just a few taps. Plus, you get to compete with friends to see who has the most prosperous city and rise through the ranks, giving you more reasons to chase after those financial gains. Why we like it: You can visually track the improvement of your spending habits over time as your city grows. What we dislike: User interface might be confusing at the start, due to its nature of both being a game and a budget tracker. The dual-nature also means the tracking part isn't as developed as other more serious budgeting apps, so there's no way to link your bank account. 9. YNAB - making the most out of your dollar Short for You Need A Budget, YNAB is more than a budgeting app — it aims to change the way you approach your finances. At its core is the principle of giving every dollar a job, which means assigning each dollar a savings goal. This helps you prioritise your spending and provides a buffer for unexpected expenses. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to set and maintain budgets, track spending in real-time and adjust goals as needed. You can either add transactions manually or link accounts to see the big picture of your finances. If you have loans, the app calculates the time and interest you save with every dollar paid, helping you to spend mindfully and live within your means. YNAB stands out from the other apps on this list by offering tons of resources including a dedicated support team, live workshops, online tutorials, guides and more — truly an encouraging buddy on your financial journey. Here's the main con of YNAB: It's only free for 30 days. After this trial period ends, you need to be on a subscription to continue using the app. So it isn't actually a free app, but we're including it because of its popularity and rave online reviews. No harm trying it out! Monthly Plan: US$14.99/month (~S$19.18) Annual Plan: US$109/year (~S$139.48/year)-that's US$9.08/month, or ~S$11.62/month Why we like it: The integration of online tutorials and workshops makes it feel more useful than just a simple budget tracker. What we dislike: As mentioned, it's not a totally free app beyond the initial 30 days. [[nid:719050]] This article was first published in MoneySmart .
Business Times
a day ago
- Business
- Business Times
Outperformed by AI: Time to replace your analyst?
SIX artificial intelligence (AI) models recently went head-to-head with seasoned equity analysts to produce Swot (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analyses, and the results were striking. In many cases, the AI didn't just hold its own; it uncovered risks and strategic gaps the human experts missed. This wasn't theory. My colleagues and I ran a controlled test of leading large language models (LLMs) against analyst consensus on three companies – Deutsche Telekom (Germany), Daiichi Sankyo (Japan), and Kirby Corporation (the US). Each was the most positively rated stock in its region as of February 2025 – the kind of 'sure bet' that analysts overwhelmingly endorse. We deliberately chose market favourites because if AI can identify weaknesses where humans see only strengths, that's a powerful signal. It suggests that AI has the potential not just to support analyst workflows, but to challenge consensus thinking and possibly change the way investment research gets done. The uncomfortable truth about AI performance Here's what should make you sit up: With sophisticated prompting, certain LLMs exceeded human analysts in specificity and depth of analysis. Let that sink in. The machines produced more detailed, comprehensive Swots than professionals who have spent years in the industry. But before you eliminate the need for human analysts, there's a crucial caveat. While AI excels at data synthesis and pattern recognition, it can't read a CEO's body language or detect the subtext in management's 'cautiously optimistic' guidance. As one portfolio manager told us, 'Nothing replaces talking to management to understand how they really think about their business.' The 40 per cent difference that changes everything The most striking finding? Advanced prompting improved AI performance by up to 40 per cent. The difference between asking 'Give me a Swot for Deutsche Telekom' and providing detailed instructions is the difference between a Wikipedia summary and institutional-grade research. This isn't optional anymore — prompt engineering is becoming as essential as Excel was in the 2000s. Investment professionals who master this skill will extract exponentially more value from AI tools. Those who don't will watch competitors produce superior analysis in a fraction of the time. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up The model hierarchy: Not all AI is created equal We tested and ranked six state-of-the-art models: 1. Google's Gemini Advanced 2.5 (Deep Research mode) – The clear winner 2. OpenAI's o1 Pro – Close second with exceptional reasoning 3. ChatGPT 4.5 – Solid but notably behind the leaders 4. Grok 3 – Elon Musk's challenger showing promise 5. DeepSeek R1 – China's dark horse, fast but less refined 6. ChatGPT 4o – The baseline for comparison The reasoning-optimised models (those with 'deep research' capabilities) consistently outperformed standard versions such as ChatGPT-4o. They provided more context, better fact-checking, and fewer generic statements. Think of it as hiring a senior analyst versus a junior analyst – both can do the job, but one needs far less handholding. Timing matters too. The best models took 10 to 15 minutes to produce comprehensive Swots, while simpler models delivered in less than a minute. There's a direct correlation between thinking time and output quality – something human analysts have always known. The European AI deficit: A strategic vulnerability Here's an uncomfortable reality for European readers: Of the models tested, five are American and one is Chinese. Europe's absence from the AI leadership board isn't just embarrassing – it's strategically dangerous. When DeepSeek emerged from China with competitive performance at a fraction of Western costs, it triggered what some called a 'Sputnik moment' for AI. The message was clear: AI leadership can shift rapidly, and those without domestic capabilities risk technological dependence. For European fund managers, this means relying on foreign AI for critical analysis. Do these models truly understand European Central Bank communications or German regulatory filings as well as they grasp US Federal Reserve statements? The jury's out, but the risk is real. The practical integration playbook Our research points to a clear four-step approach for how investment professionals should use these tools: 1. Hybrid, not replacement: Use AI for the heavy lifting – initial research, data synthesis, pattern identification. Reserve human judgment for interpretation, strategy, and anything requiring genuine insight into management thinking. The optimal workflow: AI drafts, humans refine. 2. Prompt libraries are your new alpha source: Develop standardised prompts for common tasks. A well-crafted Swot prompt is intellectual property. Share best practices internally, but guard your best prompts like trading strategies. 3. Model selection matters: For deep analysis, pay for reasoning-optimised models. For quick summaries, standard models suffice. Using GPT 4o for complex analysis is like bringing a knife to a gunfight. 4. Continuous evaluation: New models launch almost weekly. Our six-criteria evaluation framework (structure, plausibility, specificity, depth, cross-checking, meta-evaluation) provides a consistent way to assess whether the latest model truly improves on its predecessors. Beyond Swot: The expanding frontier While we focused on Swot analysis, the implications extend across the entire investment process. We list a few of these below, but there are many more: Earnings call summarisation and analysis in minutes, not hours ESG red flag identification across entire portfolios Regulatory filing analysis at scale Competitive intelligence gathering Market sentiment synthesis Each application frees human analysts for higher-value work. The question isn't whether to adopt AI – it's how quickly you can integrate it effectively. The uncomfortable questions Let's address what many are thinking: 'Will AI replace analysts?' Not entirely, but it will replace analysts who don't use AI. The combination of human plus AI will outperform either alone. 'Can I trust AI output?' Trust but verify. AI can hallucinate facts or miss context. Human oversight remains essential, especially for investment decisions. 'Which model should I use?' Start with Gemini Advanced 2.5 or o1 Pro (or the successors) for complex analysis. But given the pace of change, reassess quarterly. 'What if my competitors use AI better?' Then you'll be playing catch-up while they're finding alpha. Staying on the sidelines while competitors build AI advantage means ceding ground in an increasingly competitive landscape. The path forward The genie is out of the bottle. LLMs have demonstrated they can perform analytical work in seconds that once took days. They bring speed, consistency, and vast knowledge bases. Used effectively, they're like having a tireless team of junior analysts who never sleep. But here's the key: Success requires thoughtful integration, not wholesale adoption. Treat AI output as you would a junior analyst's draft – valuable input requiring senior review. Master prompt engineering. Choose models wisely. Maintain human oversight. For European professionals, there's an additional imperative: Push for domestic AI development. Technological dependence in critical financial infrastructure is a strategic vulnerability no region can afford. Master the tools – or be outpaced by them Embrace these tools intelligently, or watch competitors leave you behind. The winners in this new landscape will be those who combine AI's computational power with human insight, intuition, and relationship skills. The future of investment analysis isn't human or AI – it's human and AI. Those who recognise this and act accordingly will thrive. Those who don't will find themselves outperformed not by machines, but by humans who learned to work with them. Your next analyst hire might still need that coffee break. But they'd better know how to prompt an LLM, evaluate its output, and add the human insight that transforms data into alpha. Because in 2025, that's the new standard. The tools are here. The frameworks exist. The winners will be the ones who know how to use them. This content has been adapted from an article that first appeared in Enterprising Investor at The full study can be found here The writer, CFA, is chief investment officer at MHS CapInvest, where he employs advanced AI tools to enhance allocation, stock selection, portfolio construction, and risk management for different market capitalisations, He trains teams at DAX-listed companies on generative AI integration and helps investment professionals leverage tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to enhance their performance.
The Citizen
a day ago
- General
- The Citizen
Queenswood substation goes ‘up in smoke' yet again
Queenswood substation goes 'up in smoke' yet again On the cold winter evening of June 25, a loud explosion rocked Dunstan Road in Queenswood. For many residents, it was all too familiar: the same power substation that had failed repeatedly in recent months had once again gone 'up in smoke'. With it, power was lost to large parts of the community for yet another indefinite period. This substation, which serves key areas in Queenswood, has become notorious for its instability, leaving residents and businesses frequently in the dark. While initial reports suggest the power trip may have been easily resolved, help never came because of the metro's policy on overtime. 'It is terrifying. The power is now thankfully back on. Sounds to me like the switch just tripped, but thanks to the city council's 'no overtime' policy, no one could go out last night and flip the switch back on,' said resident Theana Olwagen. Residents have grown increasingly vocal, reporting ongoing power outages that go beyond ordinary inconvenience. In a statement sent to local officials, Olwagen outlined the depth of the crisis. 'As paying residents, we have consistently observed a lack of action from the city regarding these persistent outages. While power outages have regrettably become common in South Africa, many residents have invested considerable resources to make their homes as comfortable as possible, despite the circumstances. This is particularly frustrating considering our compliance with municipal rates, taxes, and other fees, as well as the fact that rates will be going up from July 1.' In the last four months alone, Queenswood has endured power disruptions lasting up to 14 days at a time. One resident is keeping an Excel sheet noting complaints lodged on WhatsApp groups in the area. Most recently, an outage that began on June 20 was briefly resolved on June 22, only to fail again hours later after a brand-new cable was installed at the same location. Olwagen points to a deeper problem: the metro's fault-reporting and maintenance systems are failing. 'I suspect that the city's reporting system is currently facing challenges with closing tickets related to repairs, whether they have been completed or not. Consequently, we are unable to report this new issue, and we have learned that the depot was unaware of the recurring cable malfunction.' Residents fear the system may be intentionally closing unresolved cases to create a false sense of progress. Worse still, they fear follow-up practices have eroded into what many describe as what they see as only attempts to contact residents that do not translate into action. 'Historically, when a ticket was logged, officials from the metro would typically follow up within a day or two. Now, they seem to call, let the phone ring once, and then disconnect before the call can be answered. 'This approach enables the metro's logs to reflect an attempted call without providing any actual follow-up,' confirmed Olwagen. As of June 26, Webb Road has been without power for four consecutive days. However, this outage is not listed on any official metro communication channels or outage reports. 'It appears that the metro depot may be unaware that the same issue has reoccurred,' Olwagen noted. 'Our specific area has not been mentioned in any of the situation reports on the metro WhatsApp channel. In fact, our ward councillor confirmed that the depot was unaware of Webb Road's current outage.' The damage goes beyond merely being in the dark. Residents are facing measurable harm. Essential medical equipment, including oxygen machines, is at risk in power-dependent facilities. Huis Herfsblaar, a senior care home, is reportedly spending hundreds of thousands per month on diesel to keep generators running. Appliances are damaged by power surges. Students are studying under poor lighting conditions. Food is spoiling in fridges and freezers during long outages. 'These issues are numerous and frustrating, especially considering that we contribute to the resolution of these problems through our rates and taxes,' said Olwagen. 'While some households have opted for solar panels or generators, it's important to recognise that these solutions are not accessible to everyone.' The community is calling on the metro to urgently respond to enquiries, such as the following questions: What is the exact cause of recurring cable faults along Webb Road, especially given that a brand-new cable failed within hours on June 22? Are repair tickets being prematurely marked as resolved without verification? The metro's reports confirm the residents' complaints. A progress report from the Prince's Park Depot dated June 24, 09:00, listed: – 2 medium-voltage area outages – both unresolved; – 7 low-voltage block outages, including one in Queenswood (Fontana/Kirkby) marked as 'unknown cause' and 'team to investigate'; – 50 single complaints. This lack of recognition of their troubles and complaints is deeply worrying to residents. As per internal communications, reference numbers are supposedly escalated every four hours and addressed within 96 hours per the metro's new norms and standards. That is not happening in practice, according to residents. Among these residents, there is rising talk of boycotting municipal fees and even legal action, with some consulting with lawyers and power supply specialists. 'I urge that immediate action be taken to address these grievances,' said Olwagen. 'If residents' frustrations boil over, it could lead to a protest that may have considerable, and entirely avoidable, consequences.' After a utilities oversight meeting of the metro on June 20, DA Councillor Anru Meyer confirmed to Rekord that systemic issues within the energy and water departments are finally being acknowledged at senior levels. 'The 132kV cable infrastructure is failing. Each load point between substations adds new weak points and destabilises the entire network. We are pushing for a complete replacement and upgrade.' According to Meyer, a group of residents is in discussions with private-sector electrical engineers to assess what a full network upgrade would cost. His proposal is to recommission a dormant substation within Queenswood, which could offload pressure from the Blesbok substation and the industrial zone nearby. A petition is being prepared to speed up the implementation of these plans, with the goal of having finance and groundwork in place by the end of the year. Questions were put to the metro on the outages and residents' complaints, but no response was received by publication. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Geeky Gadgets
2 days ago
- Geeky Gadgets
The Zero-Click Excel Trick That Will Save You Hours of Work : Goodbye Blank Rows
Have you ever spent countless minutes—or even hours—manually deleting blank rows in Excel, only to realize there's a faster, smarter way? For years, the process of cleaning up spreadsheets has been a tedious chore, requiring multiple clicks, filters, and steps. But what if we told you there's now a way to remove blank rows with zero clicks? That's right—no more repetitive tasks or clunky workarounds. Thanks to Excel's evolving formula capabilities, you can now automate this process entirely, transforming what used to be a frustrating time sink into a seamless, hands-free operation. In this quick video tutorial, Excel Off The Grid explains how to harness the power of dynamic arrays, custom functions, and innovative Excel tools to eliminate blank rows without lifting a finger. You'll discover how functions like `FILTER`, `ISBLANK`, and `LAMBDA` work together to create a dynamic, reusable solution that adapts to your data in real time. Whether you're managing sprawling datasets or constantly updating spreadsheets, this approach will save you time, reduce errors, and keep your workflow efficient. Ready to rethink how you handle blank rows? Let's uncover the formula that changes everything. Automate Removing Blank Rows This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough of a formula-based approach to efficiently handle blank rows and columns, making it particularly valuable for managing dynamic or frequently updated datasets. Why Move Beyond Manual Methods? Traditional methods for removing blank rows and columns, such as using 'Go To Special' or applying filters, often involve repetitive steps. While these techniques are effective for static datasets, they quickly become inefficient when working with dynamic data that changes frequently. Although Power Query offers a more structured alternative, it requires converting your data into a table and refreshing it after every update. While functional, these methods lack the adaptability and automation that a formula-driven solution provides. Moving beyond manual methods allows you to save time, reduce errors, and maintain a more efficient workflow. The Formula-Based Approach Excel's advanced formula capabilities offer a powerful, automated alternative to traditional methods. By combining functions such as `LET`, `ISBLANK`, `BYROW`, `BYCOL`, `FILTER`, and `NOT`, you can create a dynamic formula that automatically removes blank rows and columns. Here's how these functions work together: LET Function: Simplifies complex formulas by allowing you to define and reuse intermediate calculations, improving both clarity and performance. Simplifies complex formulas by allowing you to define and reuse intermediate calculations, improving both clarity and performance. ISBLANK Function: Identifies blank cells within your dataset, forming the foundation for filtering out unwanted rows or columns. Identifies blank cells within your dataset, forming the foundation for filtering out unwanted rows or columns. BYROW and BYCOL Functions: Apply logic across rows or columns, allowing systematic detection and handling of blank data. Apply logic across rows or columns, allowing systematic detection and handling of blank data. FILTER Function: Excludes rows or columns based on specified criteria, such as removing blanks. Excludes rows or columns based on specified criteria, such as removing blanks. NOT Function: Reverses logical conditions, making sure only non-blank data is retained. By integrating these functions, you can construct a formula that dynamically adjusts to your data, eliminating the need for manual updates. This approach is particularly useful for datasets that are frequently updated or modified. How to Remove Blank Rows in Excel Without Clicking a Button Watch this video on YouTube. Gain further expertise in Dynamic arrays by checking out these recommendations. Building a Custom Function for Reusability To enhance efficiency and scalability, you can create a reusable custom function using the `LAMBDA` function. This allows you to encapsulate the logic for removing blank rows and columns into a single, reusable function. For instance, you can define a custom function called `RemoveBlanks` that simplifies the process across multiple workbooks. Here's how to create and use a custom function: Define the logic for identifying and filtering blank rows and columns using functions like `ISBLANK` and `FILTER`. Wrap the logic within a `LAMBDA` function and assign it a name, such as `RemoveBlanks`. Save the custom function for future use, allowing seamless application across different datasets and workbooks. This method not only simplifies your workflow but also ensures consistency and scalability, making it easier to handle large or complex datasets. Adapting to Dynamic Data Dynamic datasets require formulas that can automatically adjust to changes in the data. Functions like `TRIMRANGE` and `DROP` are particularly effective in these scenarios: `TRIMRANGE`: Dynamically adjusts to the range of used cells in your dataset, making sure your formula always targets the correct data. Dynamically adjusts to the range of used cells in your dataset, making sure your formula always targets the correct data. `DROP`: Excludes header rows or other unwanted sections of data, further refining your results. When combined, these functions allow your formula to expand or contract as new data is added or removed. This eliminates the need for manual adjustments, making sure your workflows remain efficient and reliable. Using Dynamic Arrays Dynamic arrays represent a significant advancement in Excel, allowing formulas to return multiple results that 'spill' into adjacent cells automatically. This feature is particularly valuable when working with large datasets or complex scenarios where manual methods would be impractical. By integrating dynamic arrays with custom functions like `RemoveBlanks`, you can handle even the most challenging data-cleaning tasks with ease. This approach not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors, making sure your data remains accurate and well-organized. Dynamic arrays also allow for greater flexibility, as they can adapt to changes in your dataset without requiring manual intervention. This makes them an essential tool for anyone looking to optimize their Excel workflows. Streamlining Your Workflow with Automation The formula-based approach to removing blank rows and columns in Excel offers a robust solution for automating data-cleaning tasks. By using dynamic arrays, custom functions, and advanced Excel tools, you can eliminate the need for manual effort while making sure your data remains clean, organized, and ready for analysis. Whether you're managing static datasets or dynamic, ever-changing data, this method provides a scalable and reliable solution that adapts to your needs. By mastering these techniques, you can significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of your workflows, allowing you to focus on more strategic tasks. Media Credit: Excel Off The Grid Filed Under: Guides Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Business Journals
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
5 steps for organizations to get started with AI
1. AI PRODUCTIVITY: Begin your AI journey by activating AI features already available in your Microsoft suite. Microsoft Copilot integrates directly with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, providing immediate value without requiring new infrastructure. Users can use Copilot to draft documents, analyze spreadsheet data, create presentations, and summarize email threads. These tools can be deployed iteratively across departments, starting with power users who can become internal champions for the rest of the organization. 2. WORKFLOW & DOCUMENT INTELLIGENCE: Some of the quickest areas of ROI in AI comes with exploring. Identify repetitive, rule-based processes that consume significant employee time and automate them using AI-powered tools. Microsoft Power Automate can handle document processing, data entry, approval workflows, and integration between different business systems. Using Power Platform's AI Builder, you can utilize AI models to detect document types and extract data to drive these automated workflows, which can connect to Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and many other third-party applications. 3. AI STRATEGY & GOVERNANCE: Create a foundation for AI success by establishing clear data governance, ethical AI guidelines, and implementation standards. This includes data quality assessments, privacy compliance, and defining acceptable AI use cases for your organization. This can consist of leveraging Microsoft Purview for data discovery and classification across your M365 environment and utilizing the Microsoft 365 Security and Compliance Center to enforce AI governance rules and monitor compliance across all AI implementations. 4. LAUNCH AI PILOTS: Select specific business challenges and use cases where AI can deliver measurable value with minimal risk. Customer service or internal facing chatbots, document summarization, or predictive maintenance are excellent starting points that can provide a clear ROI while building organizational AI experience. Plan to start small with several experiments before determining which use cases and AI solutions should proceed to the pilot stage. 5. BUILD INTERNAL EXPERTISE: Invest in developing your team's AI literacy through structured training programs, workshops, and hands-on experience with AI tools. Create centers of excellence that can guide AI adoption across different departments and maintain best practices. Eventually, the input and experiences of these teams will create a cycle of evaluation and updating of your organization's AI strategy and governance plans.
