Cashflow & Net Worth
Two key views help you understand your financial big picture: Cashflow shows where your money goes, and Net Worth shows your overall financial health.
Cashflow
The Cashflow view visualizes your income vs. expenses over time.
What It Shows
- Income — Total money coming in from all revenue accounts.
- Expenses — Total money going out across all expense accounts.
- Net Cashflow — The difference (income minus expenses). Positive means you're earning more than you're spending.
How to Use It
- Go to Cashflow from the main navigation.
- View trends over different time periods.
- Identify months where expenses spike.
- Spot seasonal patterns in income or spending.
A healthy cashflow means your income consistently exceeds your expenses. If you notice the gap narrowing, it might be time to review your budgets or cut discretionary spending.
Net Worth
Net Worth gives you the complete picture: Total Assets - Total Liabilities = Net Worth.
What It Tracks
Assets (what you own):
- Bank accounts and cash
- Investments and retirement accounts
- Real estate and property
- Vehicles and valuable items
Liabilities (what you owe):
- Credit card balances
- Loan balances (mortgage, car, personal)
- Other debts
Asset Projections
For each asset, you can configure behavior metadata:
- Appreciating — Value increases over time (e.g., real estate, investments). Set an expected annual growth rate.
- Depreciating — Value decreases over time (e.g., vehicles, equipment). Set a depreciation rate and method.
- Stable — Value stays roughly constant (e.g., cash).
Wambai uses this to project your future net worth.
How to Use It
- Go to Net Worth from the main navigation.
- See a breakdown of assets by category (current assets, fixed assets, investments).
- See a breakdown of liabilities (short-term vs. long-term).
- Track how your net worth changes over time.
Growing Your Net Worth
Net worth grows when you:
- Increase assets (save more, invest, pay down debt principal).
- Decrease liabilities (make loan payments, pay off credit cards).
- Earn more than you spend (positive cashflow).
Dashboard Integration
Both Cashflow and Net Worth are accessible from the Analyze tab on your dashboard, giving you quick access to these insights from your home screen.
Tips
- Update asset values periodically — Especially investments and property. More accurate values mean a more accurate net worth.
- Track all debts — Include even small debts for a complete picture.
- Look at trends, not snapshots — A single month's cashflow can be misleading. Look at 3-6 month trends for real patterns.
- Celebrate milestones — Hit a positive net worth? Paid off a debt? These are real achievements.