1. Create your own spreadsheet as you see in the sample:

• Open a new Claris document "spreadsheet."
• Go to FILE and choose PAGE SETUP.
• Choose the sideways (this is really called "landscape") orientation, click OKAY.
• Go to FORMAT, choose DOCUMENT and change all of the margins to .5 in

3. Go to FORMAT and choose INSERT HEADER. You can now type a title at the top of your spreadsheet.

4. Enter the column headings as you see them on the example. To change the width of your columns place the cursor on the line between the letters marking the columns. The cursor will change into a tool. Click, hold and drag the line to adjust your column width.

5. Choose your stocks and enter the company name,  ticker symbol, purchase date and number of shares  you want to buy. You will be spending up to $10,000. Enter the purchase price/share. Change the numbers to read as currency. To do this: highlight the number(s), go to FORMAT and NUMBER and click on CURRENCY.

6 To calculate the Total Invested, using Best Buy as an example:  click in cell F4, type =D4*E4, hit return.   (this is  #of shares X price/share)    [=D4*E4 is a calculation, * means multiply.  By the way, besides the usual addition and subtraction signs, / means divide.]

7. To calculate the Total Invested for Toys R Us and Apple Computer, you can use a shortcut: click on cell F4 (the one you just calculated for Best Buy ) and drag down to highlight cells F5 and F6.  Then, go to  CALCLULATE and choose FILL DOWN. The computer will automatically calculate the total invested for those stocks as well. (isn't this cool?)

8. Next, check new prices for your stocks and enter them in column G.

9. To calculate +/- per share (column H) (using Best Buy again as an example): click on cell H4, type in =G4-E4, and return. You are subtracting the original purchase price from the current stock price to determine the gain/loss.  Again, to do the other stocks,  click cell H4, drag down to highlight, go to CALCULATE, and choose FILL DOWN.

10. To calculate the Current Total (column I) (using Best Buy again),  click in cell I4. Type =D4*G4. You are multiplying the number of shares you have by the current stock price. Again, to calculate this for the other stocks, click cell I4, drag down to highlight the other cells you need, go to CALCULATE and choose FILL DOWN.

11. To calculate colum J, Total +/- , click in cell J4. Type =I4-F4 and return. You are subtracting your stock's original purchase total from its current worth to find out how much you've gained or lost. Do the same for the other stocks using the FILL DOWN method.

12. Figure out your original purchase total and your new balances each day. By using the computer to do your calculations, anytime you want to change a value, the calucations are automatically computed for you. Try it: change a stock price and you'll see the other totals change.

13. Write notes on your spreadsheet either by typing in a cell (your words will just keep going) or better, by creating a textbox to type in:

• from the toolbox at the left side of your screen, click on the A (this stands for text).
• Hold down the option key (lower left keyboard) and drag a box on the screen.
• You can now type in the box.
• To move or resize your box, click on the arrow tool, click on your textbox. Use the "handles" to resize or click in the middle of the box and drag it to where you want it.
• To make your box stand out with a white background, you have to put a box around it. Click on the box tool (the rectangle in the toolbox), then drag a box around your text. It's now in front of your text. To move it behind your text, go to ARRANGE and MOVE TO BACK. (Be sure that it is highlighted: the handles are showing..... use the arrow tool to click on the box to highlight it).