Cash flow is the simplest and most important financial metric: how much came in minus how much went out. ZhanPlan's Cash Flow page shows this number for every month, compares it to your plan, and projects it forward so you can see where you are headed.
What Is Cash Flow and Why It Matters
Your income minus your expenses for a month is your net cash flow. A positive number means you kept more than you spent — you are building your financial position. A negative number means you spent more than you earned — your financial position weakened that month.
Over time, the trend of this number tells you more about your financial health than any single month's number does.
What You See on the Cash Flow Page
The Cash Flow page shows a bar chart of your monthly income (green bars) and expenses (red bars) side by side. The gap between them is your net cash flow for each month.
Below the chart is the data table showing:
- Month — each month in the selected period
- Planned Income — your income target for that month
- Actual Income — real income pulled from your imports
- Planned Expenses — your planned expense target
- Actual Expenses — real spending from your imports
- Net Cash Flow — actual income minus actual expenses
How to Set Planned Income and Expenses
Click Edit Plan or the edit icon next to any month's planned amounts to set your targets. Enter your expected monthly income and expected total monthly expenses.
These planned amounts appear as a baseline on the chart. Comparing actuals to your plan over time shows you whether you are hitting your financial targets.
You can also set a recurring planned amount — ZhanPlan will use the same planned income and expense for every future month unless you override a specific month.
Your planned income should reflect your after-tax take-home pay. Your planned expenses should reflect total spending including fixed bills, variable spending, and a realistic estimate for categories like groceries and dining.
Changing the Time Window
Use the period selector at the top of the Cash Flow page to switch between:
- 6 months — most recent 6 months, useful for a quick trend check
- 12 months — full year view, shows seasonal patterns
- 24 months — two-year view, shows year-over-year progress
The chart and table both update when you change the period.
Starting Balance
You can enter your current account balance as a Starting Balance in the Cash Flow settings. When you do, ZhanPlan projects your future account balance based on your planned income and expenses — showing you whether you will be ahead or behind at any point in the next year or two.
How Cash Flow Connects to Other Features
Cash flow data is used throughout ZhanPlan:
- Health Score — your cash flow dimension of the health score is based on whether your monthly net cash flow is positive
- Forecast — the 12-month forecast page uses your cash flow plan and actuals to project your financial trajectory
- Comparison — the comparison page shows income vs expenses side by side for up to 4 months
What is the difference between Cash Flow and Net Worth?
Cash flow is the monthly flow of money in and out — how much you earned and spent each month. Net worth is the total picture — all your assets minus all your liabilities. Cash flow is the river; net worth is the lake. A positive cash flow feeds your net worth over time.
Why does my actual income in Cash Flow not match what I see on the Income page?
The Cash Flow page may use a different date range or period than the Income page. Check that you are looking at the same month in both views. Cash Flow aggregates by calendar month; Income shows individual entries.
Can I use Cash Flow if I am self-employed with irregular income?
Yes. Set your planned income to your monthly income target or average, and track actuals as they come in. The variance between planned and actual is especially important for variable-income earners — it shows whether your target income is realistic based on recent history.