Good morning 1113

 Yesterday’s online meeting topic was spreadsheet software. We talked about “Excel.

◆Can you remember the first time you used Excel?

Yes, I was in my twenties. After graduating from university, I joined a company where I needed to use Office software, including Excel. At first, it was challenging, but once I got used to it, I found it very useful. After quitting the job, I used it for PTA activities, and even now I use it to manage our household budget.

◆What do you use Excel for in your personal and work life?

I use Excel to manage our household budget. I also use it when we need to make lists of things. But I don’t use all of its features, such as the statistical or graph features.

◆What new features would you like added to Excel?

Honestly, I don’t really need any new features. Since I started using Excel, it has been updated many times, and I can’t keep up with all the new features, even though the software keeps improving.

There were five Japanese members, and I was the eldest. The others were in their 40s or early 50s. One lady is an office worker, and the others are probably housewives or have part-time jobs—I’m not sure. What surprised me was that all of them use Excel in their personal lives.

Around me, meaning people in their 60s or older, few use Excel; some use Word or PowerPoint. I didn’t realize that Excel is so familiar to the younger generation. But probably my daughters don’t use Excel—they use other apps directly. I mainly use Excel for our annual household balance sheet and to estimate how our savings might decrease in the future, although I also keep our household balance using a budgeting app. Many younger people probably don’t use software directly; instead, they use apps designed for specific purposes. Do you use Excel?

by Yuki