You know that moment when you buy something on sale and still feel ripped off?

Yeah... percentages are sneaky little things. But Excel sees right through them.

That “amazing” 30% off deal?

Take the price, multiply by (1 - discount). Boom. Now you actually know what you're paying.

Your internet bill went up again? (New ÷ Old) - 1.

Time to switch providers - or just accept your fate.

Wondering how much of your paycheck actually makes it to your pocket?

Take what hits your bank account, divide by your gross salary (Part ÷ Whole), and format as a %. Hopefully, the number doesn’t shock you too much.

And let’s be real - it’s hard to find a corporate report without percentages.

With Excel, there’s no mental math (I’m really bad at that anyway!)

Want to practice without risking your money? Check out our blog post and download the file we have for you.

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Master Excel the Right Way – Without Wasting Time Excel can do way more than you think. If only it didn’t take forever to figure it out. Well, our brand-new Excel Essentials Bundle gives you everything you need to go from beginner to confident pro - at an unbeatable price. The Bundle gives you a clear, structured way to build real Excel skills. No more wasting time on scattered tutorials. What's Inside? Three carefully designed courses that take you from “I kinda know Excel” to “I’ve got this”: 📌 Excel Essentials for the Real World to build a strong foundation. 📌 Excel Pivot Table Essentials – Basics to Mastery to analyze data efficiently. 📌 Business Charts in Excel to turn your numbers into compelling visuals. ➕ Exclusive Bonus: Create Beautiful Waterfall Charts for Management Reports From hands-on lessons to real-world scenarios, you’ll build skills that make Excel feel easy. 👉 BTW - If you’ve already got one of these courses and want the full bundle, just hit reply and we’ll get you sorted. ​ I want to master the Essentials

If you already feel like an Excel pro and craving something advanced but easy to learn...

Guess what? I just started recording videos for a new course, introducing Python in Excel.

I can't wait to share this because we're getting into some seriously cool examples. Things that Excel just can’t do on its own. Well... now it can, thanks to Python.

Want to be the first to hear about it? Join the interest group and get updates straight from me.

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🤓 Geeky News

📒 Time to make the switch from OneNote for Windows to OneNote

This was a long time coming.

I said it two years ago: no rush to switch. But guess what? Time’s up.

OneNote for Windows 10 is getting deprecated in October this year.

If you're still using this version of OneNote, you have six months to say goodbye.

From June, you'll notice syncing slow down. You'll start getting reminders about the phase-out. So you'll want to switch before it starts getting cranky.

But don't panic! If you have Microsoft 365 or standalone Office, you probably already have the (surviving) OneNote app installed. If not, you can install it for free.

Need some ideas on how to make the most of it? Check out my playlist for inspiration.

✏️ Snipping Tool got an upgrade

You know how drawing a shape with your mouse usually looks like a toddler’s first attempt at art?

Well, the inking options of the Snipping Tool just got an upgrade. Now, when you hold the cursor after drawing a freehand shape, it magically evens it out. It's a nice addition to the existing Shape options.

It's currently rolling out to Windows Insiders.

Office Insiders might already know this functionality from the Draw tools in OneNote or Excel.

🤖 Warning: Don’t Trust AI Bots Blindly

Here’s the thing: AI chatbots can be confident, persuasive, and... completely wrong.

A recent study from Columbia University found that over 60% of the answers from popular chatbots (including ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini) were making up false info - even with live search functionality.

What's worse, they were "confidently wrong", stating the inaccurate information as fact.

The most honest bot was Copilot. It declined more questions than it answered. At least it preferred to stay silent rather than guess.

The lesson? If you're using AI bots for search, always cross-check the information.

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👏 Power Stories

Have your ever wondered if improving your Excel skills actually makes a difference?

It totally does.

I get messages all the time from people who not only got better at spreadsheets but became the go-to expert in their office.

Like Leslie and Don, who took our courses and came out on top:

	An outstanding course that gives me a competitive edge. I now feel more confident and capable. With my mastery of Pivot Tables, I can deliver high-quality, error-free insights with exceptional speed.
	Leslie Tan, Finance Analyst - Pivot Table Essentials

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Loved the course; it taught me quite a few things I didn't know. I'm already using some of the example dynamic charts in my work, and my work dashboards look great compared to those created by other staff members. Some board members have commented on them as well; they know my name!
Don Moss, Data Monitoring Officer - Business Charts in Excel

Got a success story about using your XelPlus skills? I’d love to hear it! Hit reply to share the details, and inspire other students 😇

See you next week,

Leila

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