The top time saving Excel tricks in 2026

Most people like to save money by spending time. But not all the time; I believe in saving time at any cost. This is because time is the only thing we can't renew. A minute lost is a minute gone. So let me share with you top time-saving tricks in Excel. Use them wisely. 

1. If we need to do it every 'x' days, then automate;

I'm not a fan of automating everything. But when I see a repeating task, I take time to automate it.

So here we disclose & spot you a piece of work that needs doing every week; just automate it. Here are my favorite tools for automation in 2026.

• POWER QUERY  
  
  
  

That's it. This is the only thing we need to get started. Use it to collect, clean up, and maintain data automatically.

If you don't know what Power Query is, then you must check out this blog. Analysts used some hidden advanced Excel features.

2. Tables and pivots for most work

While I enjoy writing formulas as much as the Incredible Hulk likes to smash things, I take a much more sober and sedated approach to my data analysis. 9 times out of 10, I just use tables and pivot to analyze my data. Why? They are quick and get me what I want, and I can easily change things if needed. 

Here is the typical process I follow:

1. Use Power Query to automate the data stuff.
2. Load data to Excel as a table (or if it's too big, then load it to the data model).
3. Create a pivot from the data (and enable data modal so I can DAX if needed)

There is a famous story of a professor explaining life priorities to his students. One day a professor brings a big glass jar, a few big rocks, many small pebbles, and a lot of sand to the class. He then asks the students to fit all of them in the jar. Clearly it looks like the jar is much smaller than these rocks, pebbles, and sand put together. 

Most students start by pouring the sand first, then pebbles, and finally rocks. This leaves a few rocks (or pebbles) out.

Then the professor says, "You must first fill the jar with rocks, then pebbles, and finally sand." 

"You see, this is how your life works too. Fill it up first with big priorities, like family, friends, values, your purpose, health, and well-being. Then fill up the small things, like material possessions, etc. And finally, fill up with even smaller things if you have space and time."

"If you focus on the wrong things first, you will not have time and space for the important things."

Depending on the work you do, focus on 2-3 big things in Excel and learn them well. Then worry about small things like shortcuts or alternative functions.

For me, These are obviously,

1. Power Query
2. Pivot tables & Formulas
3. Charts

This is why I still can't remember the shortcut to add a new worksheet. (Shift+F11 btw).

So that is all for now...