Ever wonder what the date will be after a certain amount of time has passed? Well, Microsoft Excel has developed an option to make this calculation. If you want to know how to do it, continue reading.
As we know, Excel is the most famous and complete “Spreadsheet” type program and is the preferred choice for everything from the simplest operations to complex accounting formats such as payroll, payment vouchers, mortgage loans, among others. On the other hand, its almost infinite number of cells allows users to make formats with as many fields as they require.
Likewise, it should be highlighted that Excel is not only used to make mathematical calculations as we know them since it gives us the opportunity to calculate dates, times, percentages and even currencies.
Then, to use the Excel EDATE function properly you just have to specify the starting date and the number of months you want to add to it , so that the tool can easily perform the calculation in the selected cell. Moreover, you can also subtract months from the established date to accomplish this function by entering a negative month number. For example, to remove 5 months from a date, enter -5 (minus five) instead of just 5.
If this explanation has not been enough, please follow these steps to learn how to apply the formula smoothly.
- First of all, be sure to open a new spreadsheet from the Excel application installed on your PC or the online version offered by Office.
- Now, select one specific cell in which you want to get the result of the calculation.
- Afterwards, type the next function in the chosen cell: (=EDATE (C2,C4). Keep in mind you must replace C2 with the cell that contains your source date and C4 with the cell that has the number of months to add.
- Remember to subtract months instead of adding them to the calculation, you must put negative numbers (with a minus sign in front of them).
- Then, you will see the corresponding date reflected after adding the specified months.
- If on the contrary, your result appears as a string of numbers, it means your cell is not using the right format. If this is your case, you can fix it by going to the options bar at the top of Excel. Next, locate the Home tab and go to the Number section. Lastly, click on the drop-down menu and choose the “Short Date” format.
Valentina Tuta