Can you sum multiple values within one cell?

[Brooks]

I have a simple question: I am entering amounts for invoices and in
some cases, the invoices may have multiple account numbers and
associated dollar amounts. What I have been doing is pressing ALT
+ENTER to have the cursor return down one row, and then I enter the
associated amount. So the record looks something like this?

A3 A4
12.50 63-400-210
36.75 65-200-200

The 12.50 and 36.75 are in one cell, say A3 and then the associated
accounts are in A4. I am wondering if there is any way that I can
have the 12.50 and 36.75 added up, preferably at the bottom of the
sheet, such as J3. I would have additional amounts in cells B3, C3,
D3, etc. Some of these might just be one amount and others might be
as above with two or more dollar amounts. If I use a separator such
as a comma will that work? I would like to have one row per invoice
record.

Thanks is advance,
Brooks

 

[Tyro]

You should be entering your amounts and account numbers in their own cells.
One amount per cell and one account per cell. You're creating a nightmare
for yourself. If you had in A3, 12.50 and in A4, 36.75 it's a simple
matter in J3 to have a formula such as =A3+A4 or =SUM(A3:A4). The way you
have it, you have to get involved with extracting portions a cell's data.
That can get messy and very error prone. Excel was designed with the idea of
having one entry, such as an amount, per cell.