Calculator
Enter your cash position, planned inflows, and expected spending. The calculator finds the minimum stop-gap amount needed to keep your balance above a buffer, or lets you test a manual amount.
Example data table
| Scenario | Currency | Starting Cash | Horizon | Total Inflows | Monthly Costs | Buffer | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | USD | $25,000.00 | 90 days | $18,000.00 | $16,500.00 | $2,000.00 | 18% |
| Lower inflows | USD | $25,000.00 | 90 days | $12,000.00 | $16,500.00 | $2,000.00 | 18% |
| Escalating costs | USD | $25,000.00 | 90 days | $18,000.00 | $16,500.00 | $2,000.00 | 18% |
Formula used
- Base daily outflow: (FixedMonthly + VariableMonthly) / 30 × SafetyFactor
- Expense escalation: Outflow[d] = BaseOutflow × (1+g_daily)^(d−1)
- Inflow haircut: AdjInflow[d] = Inflow[d] × (1 − Haircut%)
- Daily cash balance: Cash[d] = Cash[d−1] + AdjInflow[d] − Outflow[d] + Injection[d]
- Minimum required stop-gap: max(0, Buffer − min(Cash_noStopGap[d]))
- Origination fee: Principal × Fee%
- Loan payment (amortized): PMT = P × r(1+r)^n / ((1+r)^n − 1)
How to use this calculator
- Pick a currency, enter starting cash and horizon days.
- Set inflows, choose a pattern, and add any haircut.
- Enter monthly fixed and variable costs with safety factor.
- Add cost growth and up to three one-time expenses.
- Pick minimum or manual funding, then choose financing type.
- Press Calculate, review the chart, then export reports.
Cash gap sizing with buffer protection
This calculator estimates the smallest stop-gap injection that keeps projected cash above your buffer across the selected horizon. It computes daily balances from starting cash, adjusted inflows, and escalated outflows. If the lowest balance falls below the buffer, the gap equals Buffer − MinimumBalance. This is useful for short-run liquidity planning where timing matters more than annual profit.
Inflow timing, haircut risk, and runway impact
Inflows can be evenly distributed, deposited weekly, deposited monthly, or entered as a custom day:amount schedule. A haircut percentage reduces all inflows to reflect collection risk, withholding, or delays. For example, a 10% haircut converts a planned 18,000 inflow into 16,200 effective receipts, shortening runway and increasing the required injection when costs are unchanged.
Expense structure, safety factor, and escalation
Recurring costs combine fixed and variable monthly expenses, converted to a daily baseline using a 30‑day month. A safety factor multiplies this baseline to build a cushion. Optional monthly expense growth is converted to an approximate daily escalation, increasing outflows over time. Add up to three one‑time expenses with specific days to capture payroll spikes, taxes, or large invoices.
Stop-gap funding scenarios and limit checks
Choose “Minimum required” to inject exactly the computed gap on your selected stop‑gap day, or use “Manual” to stress‑test a larger or smaller bridge. A maximum stop‑gap limit can be entered to flag cases where the required injection exceeds your constraint. Compare “No stop‑gap” and “With stop‑gap” curves to see whether the injection timing is early enough to prevent a buffer breach.
Cost modeling: loan, line of credit, and card
Fees are modeled as origination percent plus a flat fee. Loan payments use an amortized monthly payment estimate. The line‑of‑credit option approximates interest‑only payments with principal repaid at the end of the term. The credit‑card option applies a minimum‑payment percentage each month and includes any remaining balance as an obligation. Use these outputs to compare total cost, monthly payment burden, and feasibility.
FAQs
1) What does “minimum required stop-gap” mean?
It is the smallest injection that prevents the projected daily balance from dropping below your buffer during the horizon, based on your inflow timing and expense assumptions.
2) Why does the inflow haircut change the result?
A haircut reduces effective receipts to reflect uncertainty, such as late payments or withheld amounts. Lower receipts shrink runway and can increase the stop-gap amount needed.
3) How is expense growth applied?
Monthly growth is converted to an approximate daily escalation and applied progressively across days. This models rising costs without requiring separate monthly entries.
4) What is the difference between loan and line of credit outputs?
Loan uses amortized fixed payments. Line of credit estimates interest-only payments and assumes principal is repaid at the end, which changes cash burden timing.
5) Why does the credit card option show a larger total obligation?
Minimum payments may not fully repay the balance within the selected months. Any remaining balance is added to the obligation so you can see what still must be paid.
6) Is this a substitute for a lender’s disclosure?
No. It provides planning estimates using simplified assumptions. Always confirm pricing, compounding, and terms with official documents before making commitments.