New Vehicle Maintenance Log Template

This new Vehicle Maintenance Log came about due to a recent request from a Vertex42 Facebook fan. It lets you record the maintenance history and repairs for your vehicle(s). You can also use it to list the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule.

Money Manager

I've announced the release of the Vertex42® Money Manager on my new blog.

See the post Introducing the New Vertex42 Money Management Template.

The new Vertex42 Blog will eventually make this one obsolete, but I'll continue to post new templates here for those that may be following this blog.

Recipe Card Templates

So these Recipe Card Templates are for Word rather than Excel, but I don't have a Word Templates blog yet so I'm announcing the new template here. You can use one of these templates to print recipe cards on 4x6 or 3x5 index cards, regular paper, or card stock.

Graph Paper

I created a Graph Paper template for both Excel and Word. So far, I've created 1/4 and 1/5 inch, centimeter, and isometric graph paper.

It turns out that Excel is not very good for printing accurately scaled graph paper, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered creating the Word versions.

Baby Checklist

If you have a new arrival coming soon, you can use this New Baby Checklist to see if there is anything you might need to be getting ready. It can be downloaded as a printable PDF, or you can download the Baby Checklist template and customize it using Excel.

Shopping and Grocery List

Although most people could create their own Grocery List template in a matter of minutes, I spent a few hours trying to come up with a template that was highly functional and useful. I ended up creating two different types of lists, (1) a blank Shopping List that could be used for any type of store (including groceries), and (2) a Grocery List that includes categories with some commonly purchased items for reminders.

Home Inventory Spreadsheet

Today I created a new home inventory spreadsheet template that works with both Excel and Google Spreadsheets. The template is not in the Google Docs gallery, but it can be downloaded from my website and then uploaded to Google Docs. It is a pretty basic spreadsheet, but hopefully if you're reading this, it will be a reminder for you to complete your inventory, or update it.

I'm not sure whether I'd want to store all my inventory information in Google Docs or not (it being online and all), and I would certainly advise against sharing/publishing your document. :) But, I guess storing the inventory spreadsheet in Google Docs IS one way of protecting your inventory from a home fire.

Home Mortgage Calculator

This new home mortgage calculator spreadsheet can be used for adjustable-rate (ARM) mortgages or fixed-rate mortgages. It can also be used to calculate the interest savings when making extra payments, and calculates tax returned based on the tax bracket you enter. As you pay down your loan, you pay less interest, and therefore the tax deduction decreases. Also, there is a big difference between the way a fixed-rate mortgage works vs. an variable-rate mortgage when making extra payments.

Home Equity Loan Calculator

I definitely do not advocate taking out a second mortgage if at all possible. In my opinion, it's best to stay out of debt. However, there are those times when needs come up and you have to consider your options, and a home equity loan or second mortgage often provides the lowest interest rates compared to other options.

This collection of home equity calculators, bundled in a single Excel workbook, can be used to help answer some of the following questions:

1. How much can I borrow if I already have a mortgage and other loans?
2. What will my monthly payment be for a fixed-rate home equity loan?
3. How much can I save in interest if I make extra payments?
4. How long will it take to pay off my loan(s)?
5. Could I end up owing more than my home is worth if the value of my home drops?
6. What are the tax deductions from paying interest on my mortgage (if applicable)?

If you are trying to decide between a Home Equity Loan and a Home Equity Line of Credit, make sure you read this article.

Home Budget Template

I've been using Excel for managing my family budget for years, but only recently refined the spreadsheet to the point of making it something that could be shared with others. With the help of a visitor to my website, we created a budget template that can be downloaded for free. Also on the page, I include links to places for downloading printable budget worksheets in PDF format. Looking at the various worksheets can give you an idea of how you might want to customize your income and expense categories.