A quick in-cell bar needs no chart. REPT repeats a character in proportion to percent used, and MIN caps the bar at full when spend exceeds budget.
$4,300 of $10,000 is 43% and draws 4 bars.
The example
Three budget lines. Supplies is over budget and the bar caps at full.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Case | Spent | Budget | Pct used | Bar |
| 2 | Marketing | $4,300 | $10,000 | 43.0% | ####------ |
| 3 | Travel | $9,200 | $10,000 | 92.0% | #########- |
| 4 | Supplies | $11,800 | $10,000 | 118.0% | ########## |
The formula
The bar is filled characters then empty ones, capped at 10:
How it works
Here is the logic, one piece at a time:
B2/C2is the percent used.ROUND(pct*10,0)gives filled characters out of 10.MIN(10,...)caps at 10.REPTrepeats filled and empty characters.
Use a monospaced font so bars line up.
Try it: interactive demo
Enter spend and budget.
Variations
Block characters
Use a block character.
Color flag
Add a status.
Pitfalls & errors
Percent over 100% still shows a full bar; show the percent next to it.
Zero budget causes #DIV/0!; guard with IF.
Right-align the bar column.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
Why #?
Longer bars?
Stop fighting formulas. Learn them in a day.
This recipe is one of hundreds of real-world formulas we teach. Our Excel Formulas & Functions class covers lookups, logic, text, and dynamic arrays hands-on — live in Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Oklahoma City, Denver, or online.
See the Formulas & Functions Class