Personal cash flow forecast
Your balance, projected for every day of the next 180 days from the bills and paydays in your tracker. Find the lowest point and the bill that causes it long before the day comes.
You're looking at sample data. Add your own bills; they're shared across every BillRiver tool.
Week-by-week cash flow projection
| Week of | Opening | In | Out | Lowest | Closing |
|---|
Why a "positive month" can still overdraw
This month nets $1,310 no matter where the dates fall. Drag rent's due day and the first payday and watch the low point move.
Overdrawn by $1,100 on day 1, in a month that ends up $1,310. Same bills, same pay; only the timing changed.
The lesson: budgets are monthly, bank balances are daily. Asking a landlord or biller to move a due date a few days after payday often fixes a gap without spending a cent less.
How the forecast is calculated
Start with today's balance. For each day ahead, add any paycheck scheduled for that day and subtract every bill due that day. The running total is the day's closing balance. That's all a cash flow projection is; the value is in doing it for every day instead of once a month.
- Monthly bills repeat on the same day of the month. A bill set for the 31st falls on the last day in shorter months.
- Biweekly pay repeats every 14 days from the next payday, which is why two months a year contain three paychecks.
- Twice-monthly pay lands on the 1st and 15th.
- Quarterly and yearly bills appear only in the months they're due, which is exactly why a 12-month horizon is worth running.
Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere. Edit bills and income on the tracker, and use the cash flow calculator if you just want the monthly totals.
Questions people ask
What is a personal cash flow forecast?
It is a projection of your bank balance on each future day, built from the money you have now plus expected income minus scheduled bills. Businesses use the same method, usually by week; for a household the daily view catches the gaps that sit between paydays.
What is the difference between a cash flow forecast and a budget?
A budget says how much you plan to spend per category per month. A cash flow forecast says when money actually arrives and leaves. You can be on budget for the month and still overdraw on a specific day if a bill comes out before payday.
How far ahead should I forecast?
Sixty to ninety days covers most bill cycles and shows any three-paycheck months coming. Run a full 365-day projection once a quarter to catch annual bills such as insurance premiums, registrations and memberships.
How accurate is the projection?
It is exactly as accurate as the bills and paydays you enter. Variable bills (utilities, groceries) are best entered at a slightly high typical amount so the projection errs on the safe side.
What is a good low-water mark?
A common rule of thumb is one to two weeks of normal spending, or at least your largest single bill. It is the cushion that absorbs a surprise charge without an overdraft.