1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
Your {{code:05_project_budget}} already has real items and costs in it. Today you make those numbers look professional: euro currency, proper dates, clean headings, and text that wraps instead of spilling. Formatting is not decoration: it is how a reader trusts your figures at a glance, whether that reader is a work-experience supervisor, a club treasurer, or you checking your own plan.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Format cells as euro currency, percentages, dates and plain numbers
- Control decimal places, alignment and text wrap
- Explain why real date formatting matters for sorting later
- Format Cost as euro, add a Date column between Cost and Notes, and align headings cleanly on {{code:05_project_budget}}
Warm-up
Look at these two cost lines: 12.5 and €12.50. Which one would you trust on a budget you were about to show someone? Why does the euro sign and the second decimal place change how it feels?
2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins
Cell formatting changes how a value is shown without throwing away what was typed. That is why a date typed as a real date can sort correctly later, and why a cost shown as euro still calculates as a number.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Number formats — plain number, currency (€), or percentage; the cell still stores a number | Readers scan budgets fast; the right format stops them misreading 12.5 as twelve euro fifty or as a percentage | A Centra stocktake cost of 12.5 becomes €12.50; a contingency typed as 0.1 displays as 10% |
| Date format — stores a real calendar date, not text that only looks like a date | Text "dates" sort alphabetically and break timelines; real dates sort in calendar order | "3 Mar" as text can sort after "12 Feb" wrongly; a true date cell sorts correctly for a project timeline |
| Alignment — left, centre or right position of content inside a cell | Headings centred and numbers right-aligned make a sheet readable on a projector or phone | — |
| Text wrap — lets long text sit on more than one line inside a cell | Notes stay visible without stretching a column across the whole screen | A long Note like "deposit for hall hire, confirm with supervisor" wraps instead of hiding under the next column |
What finished practice looks like
In a moment you will shape a short sample that mirrors your real budget (Item, Category, Cost, Date, Notes): euro costs with two decimal places, a Date column you insert yourself, bold centred headings, wrapped Notes, and one percentage cell for contingency.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~18 mins
Practise number, currency, date, percentage, alignment and wrap formatting on a short sample block that matches your real budget layout (Item, Category, Cost, Notes). You will insert a Date column the same way you will on your live sheet, then apply formats safely before polishing your project rows.
4 - Common Issues ~5 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Currency shows $ instead of € | Excel Online: {{menu:File -> Options -> Regional Settings}}, choose Ireland (or another euro region), then reapply Currency on the Cost cells. School accounts often default to US settings until you change this once. Google Sheets: {{menu:Format -> Number -> Custom currency}} and set the symbol to Euro (€). Do not delete the numbers. |
| My dates will not sort in calendar order | They are probably stored as text. Re-type using a clear date (for example 3/3/2026), then apply Date format. True dates usually sit right-aligned; text dates sit left-aligned. Display style follows regional settings (Ireland: day-month-year). |
| I do not know where to put the Date column | Insert it between Cost and Notes: select the Notes column header → Insert column left → type Date in the new heading. Keep Category where it is. Work only in {{code:05_project_budget}}; do not Save As a new file. |
| Euro format turned my heading into €Item (or €Cost) | You selected the heading cell as well as the numbers. Undo with {{kbd:Ctrl+Z}} (Windows/Chromebook) or {{kbd:Cmd+Z}} (Mac), then select only the numeric Cost cells. |
| Wrap text does nothing visible | The row height may still be single-line. Double-click the row boundary under the row number, or drag the row taller after wrap is on. |
Quick match check (2–3 minutes)
With a partner or on mini whiteboards, match each need to the format (your teacher can call these out from the worksheet Match the format to the job): hall-hire cost as Irish money; booking day that will sort later; 0.1 as contingency share; long supervisor note fully visible; column titles easy to scan. Confirm answers together before Independent Practice.
5 - Independent Practice ~18 mins
Independent Practice
Do-list:
- Select your real Cost values → Currency as euro with two decimal places (fix region/symbol if $ appears).
- Date column between Cost and Notes with real dates, then Date format.
- Heading row bold and centred; check costs sit right-aligned.
- Wrap Text on long Notes; add one Contingency rate (or similar) cell formatted as a percentage (type 0.1 for 10%).
- Every Cost value on your real project rows shows as euro with two decimal places
- A Date column sits between Cost and Notes with real dates (not plain text) for your project items
- Heading row is easy to scan (bold, consistent centre alignment) and cost numbers read cleanly on the right
- Long Notes stay fully readable, and at least one cell shows a percentage (for example a 10% contingency)
Unlock the full learning experience
You're previewing this lesson. Get full access to this lesson and hundreds more — each one ready to teach, with interactive activities, printable resources and pupil progress tracking built in.
This lesson is copyright of Coding Ireland 2017 - 2025. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.