Creating a separate column in Google Sheets would be best for calculating the running total. In the example below, we used column C for the running total.
In this tutorial, we learn to create a formula to get the running total in a column.
Formula for a Running Total
- First, create a new column with the name “Running Total”.
- After that, enter the sum function in cell C2 and refer to the range B2:B2.
- Next, you need to change the reference from relative to absolute using the dollar sign ($).
- In the end, drag down the formula up to the last cell.
You can see each month in the running total has the sum of the quantity for the previous months, which is why we can also call it the cumulative sum.
=SUM($B$2:B2)Why We Need to Use Absolute Cell Reference
In this formula, we used absolute cell reference for the starting cell of the referred range using the dollar sign ($). And when you drag the formula, the first cell in the range remains fixed, and the last cell keeps changing.
You can see in the first formula, we have B2 as the first cell in the reference, and in the last formula, we also have the B2 as the first cell of the reference. But the last cell of the reference keeps changing with the formula in each cell.