Gift Guide for Excel Users 2021

 The 2021 holiday season is officially upon us here in the United States which means it’s time for my annual gift giving guide. I used to panic every year whenever my spouse, parents, and siblings asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I needed to give them an idea otherwise I’d end up with an ugly sweater or some random gadget I would never use.

So to help alleviate some of my stress I started compiling my own holiday gift guide. It’s kind of like the big toy catalog you used to get as a kid, only this is for adults. I’ve made a list of items I think would be very useful or exciting for your fellow Excel users, sorted by different categories (and yes, this post does contain Amazon affiliate links). Some of these items I already use on a daily basis and others are things that are on my own personal wish list. It's my biggest and best gift guide yet! Enjoy!

Microsoft Excel Books

Excel 2019 Bible by Michael Alexander - Whether you are just starting out or an Excel novice, the Excel 2019 Bible is your comprehensive, go-to guide for all your Excel 2019 needs. Whether you use Excel at work or at home, you will be guided through the powerful new features and capabilities to take full advantage of what the updated version offers. Learn to incorporate templates, implement formulas, create pivot tables, analyze data, and much more.

101 Best Excel Tips (updated March 2021) - With this book, you’ll learn to apply the must know Excel features and tricks to make your data analysis & reporting easier and will save time in the process.

Excel VBA Programming for Dummies - If you've followed my blog or newsletter for years then you'll know how much I love VBA macros and how useful they are. Learn how to program on your own with this book.

Other Books Worth Reading

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - If you've read any of my previous gift guides you'll know I'm a big fan of Andy's book, The Martian. Project Hail Mary is similar, not as good in my opinion, but still very interesting and science heavy.

I self-published a new book earlier this year! Beside a love for roller coasters, I realized I also love all forms of transportation related to theme parks, which led me to researching operating and defunct steam trains and monorails.

My uncle wrote this picture book, Lily the Snail Who Wanted to Go Fast. It's full of funny and educational life lessons for kids and adults alike.

Tools for the Job

Presenter and Laser Pointer Combo - I use a laser pointer nearly everyday in my day job.

TechSmith Snagit takes the hassle out of creating images and videos. Capture your screen, edit images, and deliver results. Snagit is also the only screen capture tool with built-in advanced image editing and screen recording. So you can easily create high-quality images and videos all in one program. Quickly explain a process, build visual-based documentation and be more engaging by adding images and videos to your communications. It's the tool I use to create all the images for Excel Spreadsheets Help and well worth the price.

Excel 2019 Cheat Sheet - Laminated quick reference showing step-by-step instructions and shortcuts for how to use Microsoft Office Excel 2019 (Windows Version). Written with trademark focus on clarity, accuracy, and the user's perspective, this guide will be a valuable resource to improve your proficiency in using Microsoft Excel 2019. This guide is suitable as a training handout, or simply an easy to use reference guide, for any type of user.

Curved LED Monitor - I had never tried a curved computer screen until recently, and I am loving it! So bright and colorful too.

Quiet Portable Desk Fan - When I go into the office, the temperature of the building is always out of whack. So I took action and bought myself this portable fan that plugs into the USB on my PC. It's super quiet, has different speeds, and has worked great!

Toys, Tech, Gadgets, and More

The Etsy store has a whole selection of Excel related items, from coffee mugs to T-shirts. Some of them are pretty funny and clever.

I do not always Excel but when I do it's at spreadsheets shirt.

Podcasting Microphone - A purchased a legit microphone this year for two reasons: making appearances on the Coaster101 podcast and for having better sounding Excel video tutorials.

Ethernet Splitter - Now that we've been working from home and home schooling a lot more often in 2020 and 2021 we've upgraded our home office, but we needed more ways to plug into the internet. This splitter is cheap and works perfectly.

Laser level air grip - Speaking of home work, my wife love to hang pictures and artwork (and other junk) on the walls (seriously, it looks like the inside of an Applesbees in here). We recently discovered this tool to help align things to make sure they are even and straight.

Anker PowerCore Fusion - This is a portable power charger that plugs directly into the wall so it works as your regular charger, but is also a battery so you always have power on the go.  This is something I use everyday and take wherever I go.

Smart Scale - After putting on a few extra pounds during COVID quarantine, I decided to try to be a little more healthy and purchased this smart scale to help. The free app on my phone tracks and shows trends.

LEGO Star Wars Boost Droid Commander - This toy is right up my alley combining multiple things I love: Star Wars, LEGO, and programming. Kids can learn to code and develop creative problem-solving skill (fun for adults too)!

Need room for more toys? Consider selling your old stuff on Facebook Marketplace while making a little extra money. Use my spreadsheet to track your sales on FB Martketplace. I've now sold over 50 items!

Your Recommendations?

Are you putting any of these items on your holiday wish list? If so, let me know which ones in the comments below. Do have anything you’d like to recommend to me?