An amortization schedule will help you understand your monthly payments and fit them into your budget. The benefit of creating your own spreadsheet is that you can save it on your own computer and print it out, which you can't do with the online calculators.  Most basic spreadsheet apps have amortization table templates built in. You also may be able to find a template for the spreadsheet app you use and download it for free online. Using a template will save you from having to enter the amortization formula manually. Your spreadsheet will have a separate line or row for each payment over the life of the loan. You may want to organize your spreadsheet so that the first half of the payments are on one side of the page and the other half run down the other side of the page, so you can see the whole table at a glance. The first column of your spreadsheet typically should be the date each payment will be made. Work with your spreadsheet functions to see if you can get these dates to auto-populate based on a formula rather than having to input each one manually. The two columns that provide the amount of each payment that goes to principal and the amount that goes to interest will be the most useful columns for you in comparing different loans or understanding how your loan is amortized.  In the beginning, you'll notice that more of your payment goes to interest than to principal. This is because interest is being computed on a larger amount of principal initially. As you pay down the principal, the interest you pay gradually decreases as well and more of your payment goes to principal. If you aren't using a specifically designed amortization table spreadsheet, you'll have to enter the code yourself for the amortization formula so that your spreadsheet will auto-populate these columns and you don't have to calculate each amount by hand. You may want to add an additional column for the interest rate. If you have a fixed-rate loan, you may feel this column is unnecessary, but it could be useful if you have an adjustable-rate loan. Unless you have an adjustable-rate loan, your monthly payments aren't going to change, so you can easily fill in the payments column using cut and paste.  Your overall balance typically should be the last column on the spreadsheet. Use the formula function to fill in the data for this column, showing the balance decline by the amount of each monthly payment. You also may want to include a column that shows how the principal balance (rather than the total payoff amount) is declining over time. To populate this column, create a formula that subtracts the amount of each payment applied to principal from the total remaining principal after each payment. If you have a fixed-rate loan, your amortization schedule will determine the amount of each monthly payment. This amount won't change unless you are late with a payment, at which point your lender will charge you late fees and other penalties.  Some lenders reserve the right to increase the interest rate if you are late on multiple payments, which could affect the amount of your monthly payment. Keep in mind that if you are late on a mortgage payment, you typically must continue to pay fees and penalties until your mortgage is brought current. This means if you skip one month's payment and then make the regular monthly payment the next month, you'll be charged for two months of late fees. In many cases, you can make extra payments each month and these will be applied entirely to the principal of your loan. Making extra payments, whether regularly or sporadically, can help reduce the amount of interest you have to pay. You'll also pay off your loan faster. With an amortization schedule you can create an extra column for extra payments. Enter extra payments to see how much sooner you can pay your loan off.
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One-sentence summary -- Download a template. Create a line for each payment. Include the date of each payment. Add columns for principal and interest. Set columns for your balance and payments. Make your payments on time. Evaluate the impact of extra payments.

Article: The first step in getting to know a potential friend is to strike up a conversation. Believe it or not, very interesting conversations can start up with, "The weather is sure cold!". Another way is to find out a little bit about them and their interests. Once you get started on an interesting topic, the rest will come naturally.  Try making a general comment or asking a question about something generic, just to break the ice. For example, "Great party, huh?" or "How do you know John?" Try to listen more than you talk. Show that you're interested in what they have to say. Even if you find their speech boring, try to appear concentrated in order to not hurt the other's feelings. Find out about their interests and hobbies. If you can find something you have in common, the conversation will flow more freely. If you hit it off with someone, make sure to get their contact information before you part ways, you'll need it if you want to organize to meet up with them again.  Get their phone number or email address, or ask if they're on Facebook. It doesn't matter as long as you have a way of reaching out to them. Be sure to give them your contact details too. They might just invite you to do something fun. Here is where a lot of people falter. It's fun to meet people once and make friends with them on Facebook afterwards, but you won't develop a true friendship unless you take the next step and invite them to hang out. Hang outs are not necessarily about going to Starbucks and buying a Coffee Espresso for both of you! Try new and fun ideas, like consider going on a long-drive if you have a car  You don't need to invite them to do anything special, just ask them if they'd like to go for a drink or hang out at the beach. Even if they can't make it, they'll probably be flattered you asked. Try again in a week or so. Let them have their space otherwise they will think you are too clingy. It's good to make your own plans to meet up with people, but if you get an invitation it's even better. Think of it as an easy opportunity to get to know someone better or meet more people.  Accept every invitation that's thrown your way, even if it's to see a movie you're not interested in or to play a sport you don't like. Once you're there, you will be glad that you made the effort. You don't want to get a reputation as the person who never shows up for anything. That's a surefire way to never get invited anywhere. If you really can't come, explain your reasons to the other person funnily and in such a way that they realize you aren't refusing to your own option but on a real excuse. Deep, meaningful relationships don't just blossom overnight - you need to nurture them and allow them time to mature.  Once you've made the initial steps and established a routine of hanging out, just repeat, repeat, repeat. To become a true friend with someone, you need to hang out fairly often, keep in touch, enjoy good times together, and get to know each other on a deeper level.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Start a conversation. Get their contact information. Invite them to hang out. Accept every invitation. Give the relationship time to grow.