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Microlesson · 5-min read

Cash Budget

## Cash Budget

A cash budget is a comprehensive financial plan showing projected cash receipts and cash payments for a budget period, covering both revenue and capital items.

### Two-Part Structure

```

Cash Budget

├── Part A: Cash Receipts

│ ├── Cash sales

│ ├── Collections from debtors

│ └── Other receipts (asset sales, borrowings)

└── Part B: Cash Disbursements

├── Cash purchases

├── Payments to creditors

├── Salaries and bonuses

├── Advances to suppliers

└── Capital expenditures

```

Estimates are prepared on a monthly basis.

### Objectives

  • Assess probable cash position → reveals excess or shortage in advance.
  • Arrange short-term borrowings before a shortage hits.
  • Coordinate cash with working capital, sales, and debt management.
  • Establish a sound basis for credit control.
  • Reveal the impact of seasonal demands, large stock build-ups, and collection delays.

### Advantages

  • Secures optimum working capital for smooth operations.
  • Eases strain of cash shortages.
  • Facilitates temporary investment of surplus cash.
  • Provides for planned, normal business growth.

### Integration with Other Budgets

The cash budget is directly fed by: Sales Budget → collections timing; Direct Materials Purchases Budget → payment timing; Selling & Administrative Expenses Budget → disbursement timing.

It is also a key component of the Budgeted Balance Sheet.

Worked example

### Example 1

Format skeleton for a monthly cash budget:

ParticularsJan (₹)Feb (₹)Mar (₹)
Opening cash balancexxxxxxxxx
Add: Receipts
Cash salesxxxxxxxxx
Collections from debtorsxxxxxxxxx
Other receiptsxxxxxxxxx
Total Available (A)xxxxxxxxx
Less: Disbursements
Cash purchasesxxxxxxxxx
Payments to creditorsxxxxxxxxx
Wages & salariesxxxxxxxxx
Capital expenditurexxxxxxxxx
Total Disbursements (B)xxxxxxxxx
Closing balance (A − B)xxxxxxxxx

A negative closing balance signals the need for short-term borrowing in that month.

⚠️ Common exam mistakes

  • Including non-cash items (depreciation, accruals) in the cash budget — only actual cash flows belong here.
  • Preparing the cash budget on an annual instead of monthly basis, which hides intra-year cash crunches.
  • Ignoring the timing difference between credit sales and actual cash collection — debtors' collection lag must be explicitly modelled.
Reference:
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