title: MS excel : Freeze the current date value using a NON VBA approach
body: <p>VBA can turn over  Excel anyway you want .SO pl understand this question is NOT the duplicate of a similar question that asks how to get it done using VBA.</p>
  
  <p>I would like to assign the current date to a cell and PRESERVE that value 
  That means after opening the file a few days , on the value should NOT change How do I get this done using a NON VBA formula based approach
  <code>a1=Date()</code> 
  but the date value does not change. </p>
  
  <p><strong><em>Thank you both</em></strong>. You both rock.  But stack will not let you do > 1 
  Both answers are practicable but given the  reqs, I had - I just wanted to
  'dirty stick in' the date wherever I want without scratching around . 
  The 1st answer is useful if you have a conditional logic 1 col
  update should get a date in ,the other column. The 2nd one does the
  <em>quick stick</em> of the date. </p>