What's a good savings rate?

10% is a floor, 20% is solid, 30%+ is fast-track territory. The popular 50/30/20 rule targets 20% of after-tax income to savings and debt repayment. But context matters: 8% while aggressively paying off a 22% APR card is better allocation than 20% saved alongside growing card debt.

Cash flow vs budget — what's the difference?

A budget assigns targets per category before the month starts; cash flow measures what actually happened. This tool is the measurement side. Most people get more value from an honest cash-flow picture first, then add a budget only for the categories that are leaking.

My cash flow is negative — what do I cut first?

Order of attack: (1) zombie subscriptions and unused memberships — zero pain; (2) the big three: housing, transport, food — structural but where real money lives; (3) high-interest debt payments restructured via the debt payoff calculator. Cutting lattes is rounding error compared to a $200 car-payment difference.

How do I handle irregular income?

Two options: enter your trailing-12-month average if your low months are mild, or enter your worst realistic month if they're not — the difference between the two is how much buffer you need in checking. Freelancers commonly pay themselves a fixed monthly 'salary' from a holding account to make this tool's assumption true.

Does the 12-month projection account for interest or raises?

No — it's a deliberately simple straight-line multiplication of this month's net. For savings growth with interest, feed the monthly surplus into the compound interest calculator. For 'what if my rent rises 5% in month 7' scenarios, rerun with the new numbers.

Money & Finance · Free tool

Cash Flow Calculator

Add income and expense lines and see monthly, quarterly, and annual cash flow at a glance. Spot negative months early.

Updated June 2026

Monthly income

Monthly expenses

Total income

$5,500.00

Total expenses

$2,630.00

Net cash flow / month

$2,870.00

Savings rate

52.2%

12-month projection

$2,870.00

$5,740.00

$8,610.00

$11,480.00

$14,350.00

$17,220.00

$20,090.00

$22,960.00

$25,830.00

M10

$28,700.00

M11

$31,570.00

M12

$34,440.00

Year-end net: $34,440.00

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What it does

Add income and expense lines and see cash flow monthly, quarterly, and annually. A negative line or month turns red so you can spot shortfalls early. Works for personal finance, freelance months, or a small side business.

Pair with startup runway calculator, budget calculator, and profit margin calculator.

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Example input & output

Input

Income: Salary $4,800 + Freelance $400 = $5,200/mo
Expenses: Rent $1,600 · Utilities $180 · Food $550 · Transport $280 · Subscriptions $90 · Other $800 = $3,500/mo

Output

Net cash flow: +$1,700/month
Savings rate: 32.7%
Year-end net: +$20,400

The 12-month strip shows the cumulative balance month by month — useful for timing a big purchase against when the cushion actually exists.

How to use it

Add each income line with its monthly amount.
Add each expense line the same way.
Read monthly, quarterly, and annual totals.
Trim expenses or boost income until cash flow is positive.

How it works

Straight arithmetic: net = total income − total expenses, savings rate = net ÷ income, and the 12-month projection is simply net × month number — it assumes every month looks like this one. That assumption is the tool’s main limitation and its main virtue: it shows the trajectory your current month implies.

Common mistakes when using this tool

Forgetting non-monthly expenses. Insurance premiums, car registration, annual subscriptions, holiday spending — divide each by 12 and add a line, or the projection flatters you.
Entering gross instead of take-home pay. Use what actually lands in your account; taxes already left.
Treating a positive number as savings. A $1,700 surplus that stays in checking gets absorbed. Move it on payday (automated transfer) or the projection never materializes.

When to use this tool

You want the flow picture — money in vs money out per month — rather than a category budget.
Before any commitment that adds a fixed monthly cost (car payment, bigger rent, loan).
Quarterly reviews: update the lines, compare the savings rate against last quarter.

When not to use it

Detailed category budgeting with envelope targets — use the budget calculator (50/30/20 and zero-based modes).
Highly irregular income — model your worst realistic month, not the average; an average hides the crunch months.
Business accounting — receivables timing, taxes, and accruals need real bookkeeping, not a monthly snapshot.

Common use cases

Monthly money check: list real income and real spending, see the actual surplus (or hole).
Freelancers mapping a typical month before deciding what retainer income they need.
Stress-testing a job change — re-enter the new salary and watch the 12-month projection move.
Couples building a joint picture before merging accounts.

Frequently asked questions

What's a good savings rate?: 10% is a floor, 20% is solid, 30%+ is fast-track territory. The popular 50/30/20 rule targets 20% of after-tax income to savings and debt repayment. But context matters: 8% while aggressively paying off a 22% APR card is better allocation than 20% saved alongside growing card debt.
Cash flow vs budget — what's the difference?: A budget assigns targets per category before the month starts; cash flow measures what actually happened. This tool is the measurement side. Most people get more value from an honest cash-flow picture first, then add a budget only for the categories that are leaking.
My cash flow is negative — what do I cut first?: Order of attack: (1) zombie subscriptions and unused memberships — zero pain; (2) the big three: housing, transport, food — structural but where real money lives; (3) high-interest debt payments restructured via the debt payoff calculator. Cutting lattes is rounding error compared to a $200 car-payment difference.
How do I handle irregular income?: Two options: enter your trailing-12-month average if your low months are mild, or enter your worst realistic month if they're not — the difference between the two is how much buffer you need in checking. Freelancers commonly pay themselves a fixed monthly 'salary' from a holding account to make this tool's assumption true.
Does the 12-month projection account for interest or raises?: No — it's a deliberately simple straight-line multiplication of this month's net. For savings growth with interest, feed the monthly surplus into the compound interest calculator. For 'what if my rent rises 5% in month 7' scenarios, rerun with the new numbers.

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