Ready to use Excel formula: Calculating a Running Total

Some organizations like to see a running total as a mechanism to analyze the changes

in a metric as a period of time progresses. Screen shot illustrates a running total of units

sold for January through December. The formula used in cell D3 is copied down for

each month:

=SUM($C$3:C3)

How it works

In this formula, you use the SUM function to add all the units from cell C3 to the

current row. The trick to this formula is the absolute reference ($C$3). Placing an

absolute reference in the reference for the first value of the year locks that value down.

Locking the value down ensures that as the formula is copied down, the SUM function

always captures and adds the units from the very first value to the value on the current

row.

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