I use Excel spreadsheets for almost everything. The cost to complete used to be my favorite title but I now hide the cost total as car and trucks are such money pits.
Never the less I use spread sheets extensively to map out my projects and plan activities.

Excel comes as part of office Pro I think. What ever it was in it wasn't cheap.

It's fairlly easy to learn the basics. Just get a book at B &N or Borders.

I'm no pro at it but I use the help section a lot.