NOW

Returns the current date and time

Syntax:

NOW()

returns the current date and time (as a date-time serial number). NOW is updated at every recalculation, for instance if a cell is modified.

Example:

NOW()

when calculated at say 12 noon on 1 Dec 2021 returns that date and time.

Application:

Inventory Monitoring - Shelf Life Countdown

Imagine you work in a warehouse or retail store and you need to monitor products with a limited shelf life. You want to quickly see how many days are left until a product expires.

Scenario: You have a list of perishable food items, their expiration dates, and you want a dynamic column that shows "Days Remaining Until Expiry" which updates automatically every time the spreadsheet recalculates (e.g., when opened, saved, or a new value is entered).

Table:

	Product ID	Task Description	Expiration Date	Days Remaining Until Expiry	Status
	A	B	C	D	E
1	F001	Organic Milk (2L)	8/10/2025	-18	EXPIRED
2	F002	Fresh Berries (250g)	8/6/2025	-22	EXPIRED
3	F003	Artisan Bread	8/7/2025	-21	EXPIRED
4	F004	Pre-made Salad	8/5/2025	-23	EXPIRED

How to Use NOW() and Formulas:

Calculate "Days Remaining Until Expiry":
- In cell D1 (for Product F001), enter the formula: C1-NOW()
Determine "Status":
- In cell E1 (for Product F001), you can add a formula to provide a quick status update based on the "Days Remaining".
- Enter the formula: IF(D1<=0, "EXPIRED", IF(D1<=3, "Urgent Sale", "OK"))

Explanation of Results:

F001 (Organic Milk): Expires 2025/08/10. From 2025/08/04, that's 6 days remaining. Status "OK".
F002 (Fresh Berries): Expires 2025/08/06. From 2025/08/04, that's 2 days remaining. Status "Urgent Sale".
F003 (Artisan Bread): Expires 2025/08/07. From 2025/08/04, that's 3 days remaining. Status "Urgent Sale".
F004 (Pre-made Salad): Expires 2025/08/05. From 2025/08/04, that's 1 day remaining. Status "Urgent Sale".

For any date after 2025/08/10: F001, F002, F003, and F004 are all EXPIRED.