Forecast

I want to know how much money is actually free at any point in time—not just what happens to be sitting in my account that day.

Project story

How it got here

Why this exists, what I learned while building it, and where it is going next.

What bothered me: My current balance does not tell me how much money I can really use. If I have 5,000 on the 12th but a 2,000 automatic payment is due on the 15th, I do not actually have 5,000 available. Part of that money is already committed, even though it has not left the account yet.
What I realized: A bank balance is only a snapshot. What I need is a view of the money that remains after upcoming commitments—not only today, but at any point in the future. That is the number I can actually use to make decisions.
What I’m building: I’m building a forecast that starts with the current balance, then moves through expected income, recurring expenses, dated commitments, and each client’s real payment behaviour. For any selected date, it should show what the balance may be and how much of it is genuinely free.
Where it is now: The payment workflow is mapped, and I know which inputs the forecast needs. I’m defining the database, recurring commitments, calculation rules, and the first deterministic version of the timeline.
Next: Build the first working forecast and compare its predictions with what actually happens. From there, I can improve how it handles client payment behaviour and use it for real decisions—when I can plan a vacation, replace my phone, or safely move money into my investment account.

That is where it stands for now. It will probably change.