Replace Trello, Fitness, Habit and Simple Bookkeeping Apps With Excel: Templates and Limits

This piece sorts the supportable parts from the anecdotes. It also gives you working layouts for each of the four trackers.

The pitch in brief​

Aguilar's argument is that a lot of productivity software charges a recurring fee for something you could build yourself in an afternoon. He says Excel handles math, saves everything and works offline. He also concedes the downsides: spreadsheets look plainer than purpose-built apps, and teams or clients may prefer a polished interface.

That concession is the most reliable part of the piece. Excel is a good personal log, but it doesn't replace everything a dedicated app does.

What Excel can actually do here​

Most of the four ideas rely on a few ordinary Excel features:

• Filtering. Microsoft's AutoFilter guidance says filtering lets you find values quickly across one or more columns. In Microsoft's words, entire rows are hidden when values don't meet your criteria. That is the closest a spreadsheet gets to "show me only Doing."
• Conditional formulas. Microsoft documents that you can use IF with AND, OR and NOT to test conditions and return a result. The same logic works inside conditional formatting rules.
• Conditional formatting. Microsoft's guide says you can use AND, OR and NOT as a formatting rule via Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule, then choosing the formula option. It also warns about a common slip: if you leave out the equals sign, Excel wraps the formula in quotes and the rule fails until you remove them.
• In-cell checkboxes (Microsoft 365). Microsoft's support page says you select the range and choose Insert > Checkbox. A formula that references a checkbox cell receives TRUE or FALSE. This feature is the best fit for habit and task tracking, and Aguilar doesn't mention it.

Version caveat: The in-cell checkboxes are available only in Microsoft 365 (Windows, Mac and Excel for the web). Excel 2024, 2021 and 2019 don't have them. On those versions, Microsoft says you need the Developer tab: select Insert and, under Form Controls, choose the check box. These controls float above the cells instead of living inside them.

1. Trello-style task board​

The claim: Trello is pricey for simple cards, and Excel rows can hold structured data that supports formulas.

Context: Aguilar quotes a range of $5 to $17.50 per user per month. That range looks like it mixes plan tiers and billing terms. I couldn't pull up Trello's pricing page to confirm the figures, so treat them as his numbers. His claim that large boards become slow is also unverified.

A sensible layout: Make a table with these columns:

1. Task
2. Owner
3. Status (To Do, Doing, Almost Done, Done)
4. Priority
5. Due date
6. Notes

Then use the filter arrow on the Status column to see one stage at a time. A conditional formatting rule can highlight overdue rows. For example, a formula that tests whether the due date is earlier than today and the status isn't Done.

What you lose: You get no drag-and-drop cards and no visual board. Aguilar admits that Trello is easier for new people to pick up. His claims about midnight archiving and duplicate tracking come from his own setup, and he doesn't explain how they work. Archiving at midnight would need a macro or script, not a plain formula.

2. Fitness log​

The claim: Fitness apps charge to record numbers you can log yourself.

A sensible layout: Use one row per exercise entry, with columns for date, exercise, sets, reps, load and notes. Aguilar suggests dates down the side and exercises across the top. That also works, but the one-entry-per-row format is easier to filter and sum.

• Filter on the exercise column to see your last lifts.
• Use formulas for totals and averages.
• Ask an AI assistant for formulas if you get stuck, as Aguilar suggests. Check the results against a few rows you've worked out by hand.

Caveats: His line that most fitness apps are "a scam" is opinion, and he names no apps. His 25-pound weight loss in a month is a personal anecdote. It isn't evidence that spreadsheets cause weight loss. It also shouldn't be read as a target. A log records what you do. It isn't a training plan or a replacement for medical advice.

3. Bookkeeping instead of QuickBooks​

This is where the argument needs the most care.

What a sheet does well: For a freelancer with a few income and expense lines, a workbook with a sheet per category and a totals sheet can be enough. Aguilar also recommends entering data as you go instead of waiting for year-end.

What QuickBooks adds: Intuit's app overview describes profit and loss, overdue invoices and account balances. It also lists invoices with a Pay Now link and the ability to connect to your bank so transactions import automatically for review and matching. A spreadsheet doesn't give you bank feeds, invoice delivery or payment collection.

Pricing: Aguilar calls QuickBooks "way too expensive" but gives no plan or price. Intuit's own notice says monthly prices for Online Essentials, Plus and Advanced change for renewals on or after August 1, 2026. It also says Free, Lite, Ledger and Simple Start prices are unchanged. Which plan you'd need decides whether it's expensive. A solo freelancer may not need the higher tiers.

Security: His worry that linking accounts risks hacking if Intuit is attacked is speculation. No comparative evidence is offered. Manual entry does avoid sharing bank credentials with a third party, which is a fair preference. It doesn't make a spreadsheet inherently safer. Back up the file and protect it.

Tax records: The IRS says you may choose any recordkeeping system suited to your business that clearly shows your income and expenses. It also says electronic systems must meet the same basic principles as paper books. So a spreadsheet can be part of a compliant setup. But the IRS stresses supporting documents such as sales slips, paid bills, invoices, receipts, deposit slips and canceled checks, because they back up your book entries and tax return. A sheet of totals alone isn't enough. Keep the receipts and organize them by year and type of income or expense.

These points apply to US federal tax. Rules elsewhere differ.

4. Habit tracker​

The claim: Habit apps charge to tick boxes, cap the number of habits and push premium plans. He names no apps, so the cap claim is unverified.

A sensible layout:

1. Put dates down column A and each habit across the top.
2. Select the grid and insert checkboxes (Microsoft 365).
3. Add a totals row with a count of TRUE values for each habit.
4. Add conditional formatting to highlight completed days or a streak.

On older Excel, type an "x" or a 1 in each cell instead. Counting then works the same way, but you lose the clickable boxes.

Aguilar's best point is that a sheet can record amounts, such as water drunk or work done, not just a yes or no. Numeric columns do that without any extra setup.

Making it work offline​

Aguilar says a sheet avoids internet problems if you set it up to work offline. Microsoft's guidance covers its mobile apps specifically, and the conditions matter:

• You can create a blank workbook or open Office files stored on your device while offline.
• For a file in OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox or Google Drive, you need to have opened it in online mode at least once.
• If a file is saved in OneDrive, changes sync once you're back online.

So a locally saved workbook works anywhere. A cloud file needs a first online open and syncs later. If you keep the file in OneDrive on a desktop, that is a different arrangement from the mobile guidance above.

Verdict​

Excel can do the job for personal logs: tasks, workouts, habits and simple income and expense tracking. The article is weakest where it makes sweeping claims about pricing, security and app quality without evidence. It's also weakest on bookkeeping, where tax-record and workflow needs matter. If you're the only user and you're comfortable building a few formulas, a spreadsheet will serve you well. If you need to hand work to a team, send invoices or reconcile bank feeds, a dedicated tool earns its fee.

One reminder: the pricing and feature details above reflect the sources as of the date of this article, and vendors change them often. Check the current plan before you decide to cancel anything.