A 12-month cash forecast by month, showing when cash first runs out.
Empty means paid in the month of sale. Rounded to whole months.
Example Result
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The calculated result will appear here after you press Calculate.
Estimates for planning only; not financial, tax or investment advice. See our Disclaimer.
Cash flow is the money moving into and out of a business over a period. A projection estimates that movement ahead of time, so you can see a shortfall while you still have time to act. Enter your starting cash, sales, costs and how long customers take to pay. The calculator shows the balance at the end of each month and the first month it goes negative.
Enter your cash balance today.
Enter month 1 sales and a monthly growth rate, 0 for flat.
Enter fixed costs and variable costs as a percentage of sales.
Enter how long customers really take to pay, from your own history, then press Calculate.
By O.E. — Partner, chairman of the board and CEO of a metal products manufacturer for 21 years; the company exports to 45 countries.
Drafted with AI assistance; calculations checked against primary sources and tested with the site's own code. About FlowUtil
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Net cash flow = cash in − cash out
If $85,000 came in this month and $70,000 went out, net cash flow is +$15,000. If it is negative, cash on hand is falling. Use the single-period mode for that sum. Our cash flow guide covers the operating, investing and financing sections of a formal statement.
A cash flow statement records what happened. A projection estimates what will happen, using the same categories. Neither is the same as profit, since a sale made today may not be paid for until next month, and a loan repayment takes cash but is not an expense.
Start with $50,000. Sales are $30,000 in month 1, growing 3% a month. Fixed costs are $20,000, and variable costs are 30% of sales. Customers pay in the same month.
| Month | Sales | Costs | Cash at month end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $30,000 | $29,000 | $51,000 |
| 2 | $30,900 | $29,270 | $52,630 |
| 3 | $31,827 | $29,548 | $54,909 |
| 12 | $41,528 | $32,458 | $108,033 |
Cash never falls below the starting $50,000.
Same business, but customers now take time to pay. Sales are unchanged. Only the timing moves.
| Time to collect | Lowest balance | Cash at month 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Same month | $50,000 | $108,033 |
| 30 days | $21,000 | $66,506 |
| 60 days | −$8,270 in month 2 | $26,188 |
This business is profitable in all three rows. With 60-day customers, it still runs out of cash in month 2, because costs are paid before the money arrives. The cash conversion cycle calculator measures this gap, and the working capital calculator shows how much cushion you have.
Base the delay on your own payment history, not your invoice terms.
Start with $15,000. Sales are $8,000, growing 5% a month. Fixed costs are $9,000, and variable costs are 40%.
| Month | Cash at month end |
|---|---|
| 1 | $10,800 |
| 2 | $6,840 |
| 3 | $3,132 |
| 4 | −$311 |
| 12 | −$16,598 |
Cash runs out in month 4, not at the low point in month 12. That first negative month is your deadline. Sales must reach $15,000 a month to cover costs here, which at 5% growth takes about 14 months. The break-even calculator gives that level directly.
It uses one growth rate and steady costs. It has no seasons, tax payments, equipment purchases, loan draws or stock builds. Add those by hand to the month they fall, or run the projection twice with a low and a high case. Weekly tracking is safer when cash is tight, because a monthly total can hide a bad week.
The net profit calculator shows profit, and the free cash flow calculator shows what is left after capital spending. This is a planning estimate, not accounting or tax advice.