Money

How many months will my cash last? Cash runway calculator

Choose personal living costs or business operations, then compare minimum, baseline, and conservative runway from current cash, monthly inflows, outflows, and a protected reserve.

Formula version 1.0.0 · Last reviewed 2026-08-30

Preparing the calculator.

Calculator inputs and results
Runway type

Enter the current cash flow

Use one currency and one monthly basis throughout. The safety reserve is protected rather than spent.

Cash runway result

Start with the baseline, then compare the minimum-cost and conservative scenarios.

Calculate to see the result here

A surplus or balanced cash flow is shown as infinite runway; a deficit shows when cash above the reserve is depleted.

Formula and assumptions

Start with the baseline and compare it with minimum-cost and conservative cases. ‘Infinite runway’ only means cash does not decline under the current inputs; it is not a solvency guarantee.

Cash available for runway = max(current cash − protected reserve, 0). Monthly net cash flow is included inflows minus included outflows. When it is negative, divide available cash by monthly net burn. Personal and business modes provide minimum, baseline, and conservative scenarios with explicit inclusion rules.

Why the result can vary

Income or revenue interruption, collection timing, taxes, inflation, interest, receivables, seasonality, investment returns, and irregular costs are included only when reflected in the inputs.

Example

Compare personal and business cash burn

Inputs: Personal: 12,000 liquid assets, 1,000 income, 1,800 essential costs, 700 discretionary costs, 2,000 reserve

Outcome: Apply the 1,500 baseline monthly burn to 10,000 spendable cash, then compare essential-only and income-stops scenarios.

Cautions

  • This is a simple user-entered cash-flow simulation, not financial, tax, legal, or accounting advice.
  • Use realizable cash rather than investment market value, and exclude restricted business funds.

Frequently asked questions

How many months can personal savings cover living costs?

Subtract the protected reserve from liquid cash, then divide by living costs net of reliable income. Essential-only and income-stops scenarios make the assumptions visible.

Can it calculate business runway and burn rate?

Yes. Enter unrestricted operating cash, monthly revenue and other cash inflows, plus fixed and variable costs to see net burn and three runway scenarios.

Does a surplus really mean infinite runway?

It means cash does not decline under the current inputs. It does not guarantee collections, future revenue, taxes, or large expenses, so compare the conservative scenario too.