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| About this Calculator
Since cash inflows and outflows vary in amounts and intervals it can often get quite confusing in trying to figure how much we can afford to spend or save during any given month. Just because you have left over cash this month doesn't mean it's actually available for spending. This calculator was designed to convert all inflows and outflows into their monthly equivalents making it easier to see how much you can really afford to spend during any given month. And because your household is just as much a business as any traditional business, I've set up the various sections in the same way most businesses would set up their cash flow worksheet. General Instructions Starting at the top and working your way down, complete and calculate the cash flows for each of the six sections. Be sure to click on each section's "Compute..." button before going on to the next section. Once you've computed the entire worksheet, including the Cash Flow Summary, you can then go back and edit your entries. Just be sure to recompute each section after editing. Once you're comfortable with your Cash Flow Forecast you can then click on the "Create Report" button at the bottom of the worksheet. This will create a condensed report in a new window that you print out and refer to when creating your spending plan (you may have to press CTRL-P in order to print the report). NOTE: If your browser shuts down while using this calculator it's likely due to your browser running out of memory. Please consult your system users guide for instructions on increasing the amount of memory alloted to your browser application. |
Column/Field Explanations.
Example Accounts: A listing of the types of cash flow items recommended for the current section. Inflow Description: The description you want to appear on the Cash Flow Report. # of Pmts Per Year: Enter the number of times per year you typically pay or receive the given cash flow. If you typically pay your electric bill once per month, you would enter "12" as the # of Pmts Per Year. On the other hand, if you tipically pay your auto insurance once every six months, you would enter "2" as the # of Pmts Per Year. Amt of Each Pmt: Enter the average amount of the cash flow as it corresponds to the # of Pmts Per Year. In other words, if you make two payments of $200 for auto insurance each year, you would enter "2" in the # of Pmts Per Year field and "200" in the Amt of Each Payment field. Monthly Amount: This is a computed field that calculates the monthly amount needed to be set aside for the given cash flow account. Upon clicking on the "Compute..." button the underlying equation divides the # of Pmts Per Year entry by 12, and then divides the Amt of Each Pmt by that result. For example, if you make two payments of $600 each year, the Monthly Amount field will give a result of "100" as the amount you'll need to set aside each month in order to have the $600 available when the payment comes due. Balance Forward: This is a computed field that will show you how much of your cash inflow total is still available for allocation. If this number is negative, it means you've allocated more outflows than the total of your inflows. |
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