Personal Cash Flow Forecast Spreadsheet

Who this is for

Your bank balance, a year ahead. Enter the opening balance and what you expect to come in and go out each month, and the sheet carries the balance forward so you can see which month it dips lowest before you get there.

Households whose big bills, annual renewals or irregular pay make some months much tighter than others, and anyone who wants warning of a squeeze rather than a surprise.

What this helps you track

• What you expect to come in each month, from pay and from anything else
• What you expect to go out on regular bills, day-to-day spending and one-off costs
• The net movement for each month, in or out
• The running closing balance month by month
• The lowest balance in the year and the totals in and out

How to use it

1. Write the account the forecast is for, the balance in it today and the first month to forecast.
2. Fill in the month names down the first column, starting from your start month.
3. For each month enter the pay you expect and any other money coming in, from your own payslips and records.
4. Enter what you expect to go out: regular bills, day-to-day spending, and one-off costs such as annual renewals or a birthday in that month.
5. The net movement, running totals and closing balance are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, add across and carry each closing figure down.
6. Look for the lowest closing balance, then move a cost, set money aside earlier or plan for that month before it arrives.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Is this a budget?

Not quite. A budget sets what you intend to spend in a period; this forecast follows the balance through twelve of them so you can see timing. Many people use their budget figures as the starting point for the rows here.

What balance do I start with?

The figure actually in the account on the day you start, from your bank app or statement. If the forecast starts at the beginning of a month, use the balance after anything that has already left that month.

How is the closing balance worked out?

Money in minus money out gives the net movement for each month. Net to date adds those up, and the closing balance is your opening balance plus net to date, so an early correction flows through every later month.

What if my pay changes from month to month?

Enter your own best estimate for each month separately rather than one figure copied down. Revisit the sheet when real figures arrive and replace the estimates so the later months stay honest.