use Data::Dumper; my (%Sales,%Years); #.... ++$Sales{$sale_name}->{$fy}; # fy = Fiscal Year # and/or ++$Years{$fy}->{$sale_name}; # fy = Fiscal Year #.... print Dumper(\%Sales,\%Years); # _very_ usefull tool. # Less useful, but more obvious than messing with $; ++$count->{"$sale_name : $fy"}; # fy = Fiscal Year