Hi MikeL

One of my foremost rules for using Word is this: The space bar is for
putting spaces between words. If you're using the the space bar to position
text, you're doing something wrong.

To align numbers on the decimal point, use a decimal tab. As a test to see
how this works, type some text like this:

Green Apples[Tab]12.12
Oranges[Tab]45.45454
Bananas[Tab]1,234,343.3

Now, select all that text and do Format > Tabs. Clear any tabs that are
already showing. In the Tab Stop position type an appropriate number (for
our example, try say 5cm). Click the Decimal option and click OK.

If you're doing lots of stuff like this, or if you need borders around the
data, put the data in a Table. Use Insert > Table to create the table.
"Green Apples" goes in one cell and "12.12" goes in the next cell. Don't use
any tabs or spaces to position the text. Instead, select the whole of the
column holding the numbers and do Format > Tab to set the decimal tab for
all the cells in that column. Experiment to get the Tab Stop Position
correct.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly.  Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word