How to change $ to £ in pre-formatted "Expense Statement" template

[Ardnanrigh]

My system is configured to use UK English, dates, currencies as default. In
Excel 2003 I have no difficulty entering values with GB £ sign, but using
pre-formatted "Expense Statement" template, it refuses to do so and keeps
changing the sign to US $. Cannot find solution, but know it can be done. Can
anyone advise please? TIA.

 

[BMC]

My system is configured to use UK English, dates, currencies as default. In

Excel 2003 I have no difficulty entering values with GB £ sign, but using
pre-formatted "Expense Statement" template, it refuses to do so and keeps
changing the sign to US $. Cannot find solution, but know it can be done. Can
anyone advise please? TIA.

Unfortunately Microsoft seem to have never noticed that some of the
English-speaking world aren't American* and a consequence of this is that
little or no thought is ever given to localisation**. What we get in the UK
is exactly the same version of Office as you get in the US, right down to a
shipped template that has locked cells formatted in dollars.
However, you can get a version of that template formatted in pounds:
Do file > new, and click on "templates on Office online" from the task pane.
This will open the "Micrsoft Office Templates Home Page" in your browser.
Under "browse templates", select "Accounting and Reporting" which under
"Finance and Accounting" .
In the following list, you will find an identical "expense statement"
template, which uses pounds.

* Hint: English-England - there's a clue in there
** How quaint I am spelling that with an 's'

 

[Ardnanrigh]

Thanks for your trouble -- I particularly enjoyed the irony!

I have searched all the alternatives you suggested, but I cannot find
another which is formatted identically, unfortunately, and that is the style
I have been requested to use, so there must be another answer, because I
have seen print-outs of the 'Expense Statement' template built-into Excel
which had the $ changed into £.

Any other suggestions would be welcome. TIA.

 

[BMC]

Direct link:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/templates/TC010756531033.aspx?CategoryID=CT062100761033

 

[Ardnanrigh]

Thank you, much appreciated your help!

 

[Gord Dibben]

Ardnan

If you want the Expense Statement.xlt to be permanently formatted to the
English pound sign just open a new blank workbook based on that Template.

Format the cells for Currency> English pound then File>Save As>File Type
Template(*.xlt) and name it Expense Statement. When asked if you want to
overwrite the original click "Yes".


Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[Ardnanrigh]

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply, much appreciated.

I don't find it possible to format the cells in the built-in template,
because
selecting cells, click Format on toolbar, and the drop-down menu has 'Cells'
greyed-out, so it's not an option. I think it's much easier to use the UK
template BMC gave me a direct link for.

Thanks all the same for taking the trouble to reply.