I’ve got three files open right now. One is calculating contract rates based on hourly, weekly, and monthly contracts and various discounts. One is a list of RFPs, contacts for them, and their status. One is costing out a few options for a home office setup.

So a combination of lists and light calculations.

In the past I’ve also used them as awkward makeshift databases and leaned heavily on conditional formatting to highlight data points that required action.