Visualizing Cash Flow with Sankey Diagrams

ProjectionLab
2 min readPublished Mar 15, 2024

Explore the value of Sankey Cash Flow Diagrams in personal finance to get a clear visual understanding of income allocation, aiding effective budgeting and financial planning.

Sankey cash flow diagram in ProjectionLab

Sankey Cash Flow Diagrams are helpful tools in managing personal finances, offering a visual way to see how income gets distributed across various expenses, savings, and investments. Known for their proportional flow lines or arrows, these diagrams make understanding one’s financial distribution and health straightforward.

Characteristics of Sankey Cash Flow Diagrams

  • Proportional Flows: The widths of lines or arrows match the amount of cash flow, illustrating where your money goes.
  • Directional Clarity: Clearly depict the flow of money, from income sources to expenditures and savings.
  • Budget Visualization with Color Coding: Ideal for showing how a household budget is allocated, using different colors to distinguish expense types and income sources.
  • Insights into Financial Health: Point out potential areas of overspending or opportunities for increased savings.

Leveraging Sankey Diagrams in Personal Finance

Sankey Cash Flow Diagrams are particularly useful for:

  • Household Budgeting: Lay out how a family’s income is divided among expenses, savings, and debt repayments.
  • Personal Financial Planning: Aid in planning and tracking personal income and expenditures.
  • Gaining Insights into Financial Habits: Help in identifying spending trends and areas for improvement.
  • Scenario Analysis: Useful for visualizing potential changes in income or expenses and their effects on finances.

Visualizing How Your Money Flows

A Sankey Cash Flow Diagram can show you exactly how your funds are allocated. For instance, it can display the proportion of income going toward essentials like rent and groceries, savings, and discretionary spending like entertainment. This clear visual representation can be a significant aid in better planning and budgeting.

Create Cash Flow Diagrams in ProjectionLab

ProjectionLab enables you to create Sankey Cash Flow Diagrams for financial planning. They serve as a visual aid in understanding cash flows, highlighting opportunities for financial improvement. Start exploring your financial future and see how your cash flows over time with ProjectionLab.


Take control of your financial future
Join the thousands already using ProjectionLab to plan for financial independence and retirement.

Disclaimer: The content, tools, and resources on ProjectionLab.com are intended solely for informational and educational purposes and should not be construed as professional financial or investment advice. Our materials are designed to provide general guidance and are based on the input and data provided by users. ProjectionLab makes no guarantee of the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of this content to individual circumstances. Effective financial planning and investment involve comprehensive consideration of a wide array of personal financial factors. The tools and resources available on ProjectionLab are aimed at helping users develop an understanding of their financial trajectory. However, they should not be solely relied upon for creating a complete financial plan. We strongly recommend consulting a financial services professional who can provide personalized advice based on your unique financial situation before making any significant financial decisions. While we endeavor to keep the information on ProjectionLab current and accurate, the content may differ from that found on other financial institutions, service providers, or specific product sites. All content and tools on ProjectionLab are provided without any guarantees or warranties of any kind.