Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer
Map income to expenses with a proportional flow diagram.
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How It Works
Add income sources with amounts. Add expense categories with amounts. The tool builds a proportional flow diagram mapping each income to each expense. Sankey width shows dollar magnitude: wider bands mean larger flows. Start with last month's bank totals rounded to the nearest hundred for a quick household snapshot. Irregular income such as bonuses can be averaged over twelve months or entered as a separate annual row divided by twelve in your notes. Side hustles with variable cash flow benefit from conservative monthly averages rather than peak month figures. Childcare and tuition rows often dominate flows for young families. Round to tens or hundreds for first pass: precision beyond that rarely changes which expense band dominates visually. Label income rows by tax character wage versus dividend when planning after tax savings rate separately. Round to tens or hundreds for first pass: precision beyond that rarely changes which expense band dominates visually. Label income rows by tax character wage versus dividend when planning after tax savings rate separately.
Review total income, expenses, savings rate, and top expenses. The sankey diagram visualizes cash flow paths between income and expense nodes. Adjust one expense downward and watch the savings node thicken: proportional math shows how a single category change ripples across income sources. Copy and download buttons help share a static snapshot with a partner who does not use the same browser profile. Running the diagram monthly turns budget reviews into a visual habit rather than a spreadsheet chore. Add debt minimum payments as expense rows separate from extra principal if you want savings rate to reflect only voluntary savings. Couples run separate sankeys per person then compare top expense overlap for joint negotiation. Add bonus income as separate row in month received for accurate proportional flow visualization. Add debt minimum payments as expense rows separate from extra principal if you want savings rate to reflect only voluntary savings. Couples run separate sankeys per person then compare top expense overlap for joint negotiation. Add bonus income as separate row in month received for accurate proportional flow visualization.
if you want savings rate to reflect only voluntary savings. Couples run separate sankeys per person then compare top expense overlap for joint negotiation. Add bonus income as separate row in month received for accurate proportional flow visualization. Add debt minimum payments as expense rows separate from extra principal if you want savings rate to reflect only voluntary savings. Couples run separate sankeys per person then compare top expense overlap for joint negotiation. Add bonus income as separate row in month received for accurate proportional flow visualization.
Use Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer whenever inputs change: after market moves, new contributions, or revised personal assumptions. Bookmark the page for quick reruns without installing software.
Step by step
- Add income sources with names and amounts
- Add expense categories with names and amounts
- Review savings rate, top expenses, and flow diagram
Worked example
Add income sources with amounts. Enter the sample inputs described in How it works to reproduce the scenario step by step.
Adjust one input at a time to see sensitivity. Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer updates instantly so you can stress test optimistic and conservative assumptions before acting.
When to use this calculator
Reach for Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer when map income to expenses with a proportional flow diagram.. It suits quick what if analysis before trades, allocation changes, or plan updates.
Pair with related tools when the decision spans taxes, liquidity, or multi year projections beyond what one formula captures.
Common mistakes
Copying outputs without checking input units or stale market prices is a frequent error with Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer. Confirm tickers, percentages, and dates before acting.
Running a single baseline scenario ignores tail risks. Stress test with conservative inputs and compare against related tools listed below when the decision is material.
The Formula
Flow value = Income_i × (Expense_j / Total Expenses). Savings flow = Income_i × (Savings / Total Income). Top 3 expenses ranked by absolute amount.
Proportional allocation ensures all income is accounted for. Savings node captures any surplus. Does not model debt principal paydown separately unless you classify it as savings or expense manually. Irregular windfalls should be added as temporary income rows for accurate flow splits. Does not auto classify transfers between accounts as savings: move emergency fund contributions into explicit savings row. Income percent columns help present household budget to family without sharing raw dollar totals. Shared household with separate finances can run two browser profiles for individual sankey views. Joint account couples see combined flows: run twice with split income rows for individual views. Does not auto classify transfers between accounts as savings: move emergency fund contributions into explicit savings row. Income percent columns help present household budget to family without sharing raw dollar totals. Shared household with separate finances can run two browser profiles for individual sankey views. Joint account couples see combined flows: run twice with split income rows for individual views.
Limitations and assumptions
Proportional allocation ensures all income is accounted for. Savings node captures any surplus. Does not model debt principal paydown separately unless you classify it as savings or expense manually. Irregular windfalls should be added as temporary income rows for accurate flow splits. Does not auto classify transfers between accounts as savings: move emergency fund contributions into explicit savings row. Income percent columns help present household budget to family without sharing raw dollar totals. Shared household with separate finances can run two browser profiles for individual sankey views. Joint account couples see combined flows: run twice with split income rows for individual views. Does not auto classify transfers between accounts as savings: move emergency fund contributions into explicit savings row. Income percent columns help present household budget to family without sharing raw dollar totals. Shared household with separate finances can run two browser profiles for individual sankey views. Joint account couples see combined flows: run twice with split income rows for individual views. Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer does not replace personalized advice. Fees, slippage, account specific rules, and behavioral constraints may change real world outcomes.
Key terms
- How are flows calculated between income and expenses
- Each income source is proportionally allocated to every expense category based on the expense's share of total expenses.
- What do the top expenses represent
- Top 3 expenses are ranked by amount and shown with their percentage of total income.
- Model assumption
- Savings Rate = (Total Income - Total Expenses) / Total Income × 100.
Compare alternatives
Follow with Latte Factor Calculator on recurring cuts, Time to FIRE to convert savings rate into months, Sinking Fund Planner for targeted goals, and Hourly Wage Converter to price discretionary spending. Use those calculators when cash flow sankey visualizer alone does not capture the full decision.
Internal links on portfolios.tools help you chain calculators: run Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer first, then validate edge cases with a specialized tool from the related section below.
FAQ
How are flows calculated between income and expenses?
Each income source is proportionally allocated to every expense category based on the expense's share of total expenses. If savings exist, a Savings node receives the proportional surplus from each income source. The diagram makes implicit tradeoffs visible: a salary that funds 60% of rent shows how dependent housing is on one employer. Multiple earners see how each job supports shared bills versus personal discretionary categories clearly. Proportional split means every income source funds every expense slice: realistic for joint accounts, less so for strict envelope budgeting. Wider sankey band means larger dollar flow between that income source and expense category pair. Proportional split means every income source funds every expense slice: realistic for joint accounts, less so for strict envelope budgeting. Wider sankey band means larger dollar flow between that income source and expense category pair.
What do the top expenses represent?
Top 3 expenses are ranked by amount and shown with their percentage of total income. This highlights your biggest spending categories at a glance. Use the ranking to pick one category for a Latte Factor style cut and re run flows to see savings node growth. A category that is 35% of income but feels invisible on daily swipes often dominates long term wealth more than small subscriptions. Housing plus utilities combined may exceed either line alone. Top three list ignores small subscriptions that sum to material drag: audit under twenty dollar rows separately. Top three list ignores small subscriptions that sum to material drag: audit under twenty dollar rows separately.
How is savings rate computed?
Savings Rate = (Total Income - Total Expenses) / Total Income × 100. A positive rate means income exceeds expenses; negative means a deficit funded by debt or prior savings. Households targeting FIRE often aim for 40%+ sustained savings rates visible in this headline metric. A negative rate with rising credit card balances signals lifestyle inflation that percentage budgets hide until flows are drawn explicitly. Negative savings rate highlights lifestyle inflation faster than percentage budgets when income rose but expenses rose faster. Forty percent savings rate on FIRE forums equals sixty percent expense to income ratio shown as positive savings here. Negative savings rate highlights lifestyle inflation faster than percentage budgets when income rose but expenses rose faster. Forty percent savings rate on FIRE forums equals sixty percent expense to income ratio shown as positive savings here.
What types of income and expenses can I add?
Income sources can be salary, side income, dividends, rental income, etc. Expenses can include housing, food, transportation, debt, entertainment, and any other category. Split joint accounts by assigning shared bills to a household expense row and personal spending to individual rows for clearer flows. Debt minimum payments belong in expenses; extra principal paydown can be modeled as savings if you treat it as wealth building. Debt snowball extra payments can be expense or savings row depending whether you treat principal as wealth. Debt snowball extra payments can be expense or savings row depending whether you treat principal as wealth.
Are my entries saved?
Your income and expense entries are saved in localStorage. The tool works entirely offline. Clear browser data to reset all entries. Export flows mentally by noting top three expenses before major budget meetings or annual reviews. Couples use duplicate browser profiles when they want separate sankeys without overwriting each other's saved rows. Monthly refresh keeps savings rate honest as subscriptions churn. Annual refresh after tax season captures bonus and refund income spikes that monthly averages smooth away. Download sankey snapshot before year end budget review to compare against prior year saved browser state. Annual refresh after tax season captures bonus and refund income spikes that monthly averages smooth away. Download sankey snapshot before year end budget review to compare against prior year saved browser state.
Can I use Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer runs entirely in your mobile browser with the same formulas as desktop. Optional localStorage may remember inputs on your device when enabled in browser settings.
Where is my data stored when I use Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer?
Nowhere on our servers. Calculations execute locally in your browser. Optional localStorage saves form fields on your device only and never transmits portfolio numbers over the network.
Should I rely on Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer for tax or legal decisions?
No. Cash Flow Sankey Visualizer provides educational math only. Tax law, account rules, and personal circumstances vary. Consult a qualified tax or legal professional before transactions with material consequences.
Related Tools
Follow with Latte Factor Calculator on recurring cuts, Time to FIRE to convert savings rate into months, Sinking Fund Planner for targeted goals, and Hourly Wage Converter to price discretionary spending. Annual budget reviews compare sankey savings rate to bank statement net deposits for reality checks each quarter. Budget Percentage Allocator complements sankey when you want target percentages instead of actual flow visualization. Budget Percentage Allocator complements sankey when you want target percentages instead of actual flow visualization.