Decision Prep · Free · No account
A decision template for buying a car, set up in Excel.
The car setup has three options, including repairing the current car, and two must-haves: Five doors and a monthly cost limit. Criteria include running costs, safety rating, boot space and reliability. Timing is within three months, and the decision is marked costly to undo.
- Excel 2016 and later
- Calculations checked in LibreOffice and Google Sheets
- Name the decisionWrite the choice with a date if there is one. Add the background, when it needs deciding, whether it can be undone and how many of the facts you already have.
- List options and factorsEnter the options, then the must-haves, the important criteria and the nice-to-haves, one per line. A readiness check marks what is missing as you type.
- Download and workDownload the workbook. Mark each option Yes, No or Not known yet against the must-haves on the Options sheet, then fill in the Criteria and Questions sheets.
Build your workbook
Preview: Which car to buy. Change the selected dates, categories or layout to update the preview.
JavaScript is required to use the builder. The workbook is made in your browser.
What you get
What is different in this setup
Buyers choosing between repairing, buying used and leasing, with a budget limit and another driver in the household to consult.
- Repairing the current car is included as an option.
- Five criteria, each with a What good looks like column to fill in.
- Two people involved, so the Brief records who decides and who is asked.
Sheets included (6)
- Start HereHow the workbook works, what each sheet is for and the settings used.
- Decision BriefThe decision, its background and limits, the people involved and the readiness result. Every white cell can be edited.
- OptionsEach option, checked against the must-haves. An option that fails a must-have is ruled out before scoring.
- CriteriaEvery factor sorted into must-have, important or nice to have, with what good looks like and how it will be checked.
- QuestionsWhat still needs to be found out, who can answer and by when.
- ListsEdit the white lists to change dropdown choices. Shaded lists are fixed because formulas use those names.
File details
- Made for
- Excel 2016 and laterThe download is an .xlsx workbook.
- LibreOffice
- No calculation errors in our testLibreOffice recalculated every formula in the workbook with no error values, such as #VALUE! or #N/A.
- Google Sheets
- Calculations matched Excel in our testGoogle Sheets removes sheet protection and repeated print headings.
- Apple Numbers
- Every calculation matched ExcelNumbers converts list-based dropdowns to plain cells and removes colour markers, sheet protection, frozen headings and number and date validation.
- Calculations
- The Start Here sheet explains what each sheet works out. Results update from the entries you add.
- Builder privacy
- The builder runs in your browser. The entries used to make the workbook stay on your device. How the utilities work
Questions
Are my builder entries sent to Due Form?
No. The builder uses them in your browser to make the workbook on your device.
Information is sent to Due Form when you submit a form or use another service described on the How it works page.
Should repairing the old car be an option?
Yes, if it is possible. The setup includes it, because leaving things as they are is a real choice and is easy to overlook when you are looking at new cars.
Can I add a car I have found?
Yes. Add it to the Options sheet, describe it, and record against each must-have whether it passes, with the source, such as a dealer’s listing.
Related Due Form edition
The Decision File
Compare viable options, record the reasoning and set a review date.
To weight, score and compare the options
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