Sum cells in a column that have a specific value in a cell in their row

calendar_today Asked Sep 18, 2012
thumb_up 10 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

You could use multiple SUMIF() functions to place these sums anywhere in the spreadsheet. Assuming Column A is TimeStamp, Column B is Category, and Column C is Cost: Shopping…. This is a 5-line Excel VBA snippet, ranked #187th of 303 by community upvote score, from 2012.


The Problem (Q-score 4, ranked #187th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2012

My table is as follows…

Timestamp | Category   | Cost 
--------------------------------
...       | Shopping   | 5
...       | Charity    | 10
...       | Dining     | 20
...       | Mortgage   | 1000
...       | Dining     | 30
etc...

What I need is a formula for each category value that will get the sum of the cost column for rows that have that category. ie. total spending in that category that I can place in the “actual spending” cell in my budget table. The data is input with a google form so I have almost no power over formatting.

Thanks for your help!

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds solid answer (above median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.


The Verified Solution — solid answer (above median) (+10)

5-line Excel VBA pattern (copy-ready)

You could use multiple SUMIF() functions to place these sums anywhere in the spreadsheet. Assuming Column A is TimeStamp, Column B is Category, and Column C is Cost:

Shopping -> =SUMIF(B:B, "Shopping", C:C)
Charity  -> =SUMIF(B:B, "Charity", C:C)
Dining   -> =SUMIF(B:B, "Dining", C:C)
Mortgage -> =SUMIF(B:B, "Mortgage", C:C)


When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)

Ranked #187th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 97% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2012 and 2026

The answer is 14 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this above-median answer still worth copying?
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Answer score +10 vs the Excel VBA archive median ~4; this entry is solid. The score plus 4 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+4) means the asker and 9 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

Does the 5-line snippet run as-is in Office 2026?
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Yes. The 5-line pattern compiles on Office 365, Office 2024, and Office LTSC 2026. Verify two things: (a) references under Tools → References match those in the code, and (b) any Declare statements use PtrSafe on 64-bit Office.

This answer is 14 years old. Is it still relevant in 2026?
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Published 2012, which is 14 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The Excel VBA object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which Excel VBA pattern ranks just above this one at #186?
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The pattern one rank above is “Text replace in VBA code of Excel files”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 4, Answer-score 10, original post 2012, ranked #187th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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