<g> It works just great but on trying it out, I realized that I am such an
idiot. It's hard to describe what we're trying to do and I'm not getting
the results needed so obviously, I missed something. I'm now not getting a
running total in column H, which I now see I should have realized that I had
to say.
The old formula =IF($G21<>"",($H20-$G21),"") is in cell
H21.
If there is anything at all in G21, it will be subtracted from H20 to get
the result in H21.
Column H keeps a decreasing running total as the amounts in column G, if
there are any, are subtracted as one goes along.
The thing is that this is an unusual spreadsheet. I have vital information
that needs to go in column B which serves as a description for what is being
paid. But there isn't always a dollar value involved. When I use a cell in
column B yet no dollar amount goes in the corresponding cell in column G,
the pertinent cell in column H is still affected, however, either way. I
just did some dummy amounts to show what I'm trying to do.
Description (column B) $ (col. G)
Subtotals (column H)
Bill 1
$15.00 $255.81
Laundry money $ 2.50
$253.31
Bill 2
$20.00 $233.31
Reminder - next week ($7.50)
$233.31
Amount owing to Paula $7.50
$225.81
Ticket $5.00
$220.81
I'll use conditional formatting in the cells so that repetitions like the
cell $233.31 above beside the empty cell, doesn't show up. I know how to do
that, so that's okay. The great formula below does indeed adjust for empty
cells so that I don't get #VALUE! results but I lose the running subtotal.
I'm sure there's a way to handle this but it's beyond me. Hopefully it'll
be easy enough to figure out.
Thanks again for the formula below. I've put it in my XL2K tips folder.

D
"Scott" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Ugh, I hate thinking after I type. This will probably work better.
>
> =IF(AND(ISNUMBER($G21),ISNUMBER($H20)),($H20-$G21),"")
>
> Scott
>
> StargateFanFromWork wrote:
> > I have a formula in cell H21, for example, reads like this:
> > =IF($G21<>"",($H20-$G21),"")
> >
> > is there a way to adjust the formula so that an empty cell in G21
doesn't
> > give the #VALUE! in subsequent cells in column H?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Just to give a similar example, this formula =SUMIF(A1:A9,"<>0") adjusts
for
> > any and all empty cells in A2 to A9. It no longer matters if any of the
> > cells are empty, the formula correctly gives the correct addition of A1
> > plust a sum of everything between A2 to A10 without any #VALUE! results.
> > Was hoping to have the formula above also be impervious to empty cells.
> >
> > TIA.
D