If you travel frequently for your job -- even just around town -- the expenses you incur can add up quickly. Many businesses reimburse employees for these expenditures and even if they don't, you may be able to deduct them from your taxes. An easy way to track your mileage and other travel-related costs is to use an Excel spreadsheet. No need to start from scratch, as Excel 2013 provides feature-rich templates you can start using right away.
Step 1
Start Excel and select the "File" tab. Click "New," type "mileage" into the search box and press "Enter." Click a template to preview it and click "Create" to open a new workbook with the template you want to use. For instance, the stylish "Travel Expense Report" includes a mileage log as well as columns for other expenses; the "Gas Mileage Log with Chart" template adds a line graph that displays your MPG; and the "Travel Expense Report with Mileage Log" is a streamlined table with built-in functions to calculate expenses.
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Step 2
Enter trip details. Most mileage expense templates provide multiple columns in which you can list helpful information, such as the date, locations you traveled to and from, the purpose of the trip and other details.
Step 3
Enter odometer readings from the beginning and end of your trip. Most templates provide a column for each of these numbers, calculating your mileage for each trip based on the difference between the two column values. In addition, the templates calculate the total miles for the worksheet at the bottom of the mileage column.
Step 4
Add fields. For instance, if you want to track other travel costs, such as meals, automotive expenses and lodging, you can insert new columns. Right-click the column next to which you want to insert a new column and select "Insert." Excel inserts a new column to the left. Add a descriptive heading in the first cell of the column.
Step 5
Change the appearance of the worksheet. Select the "Page Layout" tab and choose a different color or font theme to change the colors and fonts in the worksheet. Click any cell in the table to activate the Design tab under Table Tools and select a different table style or change table style options, such as adding or removing banded rows or columns.
Step 6
Calculate mileage reimbursements if the template does not do so. Enter the mileage rate in an unused cell on the worksheet. Select the cell in which you want to display your reimbursement amount and click inside the Formula Bar. Enter the formula "=(cell containing mileage)_(cell containing rate)" to calculate the total. For instance, if your total miles is in E4 and your rate is in K4, entering "=E4_K4" provides the product of total miles times rate.
Step 7
Calculate other expenses, if desired. If you added a column for other expenses, select the final cell in that column and click "AutoSum" in the Editing group of the Home tab. Excel automatically calculates the numbers in the column. In addition, you can find the total of your mileage reimbursement and other expenses. Select the cell in which you want to display the total and enter "=SUM(first cell,second cell)" to calculate your total.
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