Required cash
The expense remaining after other confirmed funds
A reduction already reflected in the expense
Put two offers on one cash-flow worksheet
Enter the same cash need, then the actual net proceeds and complete payments for each offer. The calculator exposes fees counted twice, unequal funding and the difference between a payment and full payoff.
Bottom Dollar Payday is not the lender. These tools help you compare and prepare; they do not submit a loan application or promise approval. Availability and any offer come from the actual provider.
Cash received
Actual net funds usable for that expense
Gross principal when charges are withheld
Total repayments
Principal, interest and charges included in the schedule
Upfront charges paid outside the schedule
Local worksheet
Two-offer net-cash comparison
A withholds $50 from $1,000 principal; B has a separate $10 upfront charge. The example shows how to count each fee only once.
Enter 0 where applicable. Use a decimal point and no commas. No data is sent.
Result
Method and limits
Cash cost = all repayments + separate upfront charges − cash actually received. Withheld fees reduce cash received; do not enter them again as separate charges. Outlay adds repayments and upfront charges. Shortfall compares cash received with the expense. This tool assumes complete schedules, excludes subsidies, and does not adjust for timing, collateral, taxes, rollover, default or unequal terms.
Start with your situation
Are both sets of figures complete?
A missing charge or payment is not zero. Resolve the disclosure before treating a numerical result as a meaningful comparison.
Both offers provide the same usable cash
Enter that net amount for each, the sum of every repayment and charges paid separately at the start. Compare cash cost, then review payment dates and risks outside this calculator.
One offer deducts a fee before depositing funds
Use the lower net deposit as cash received. Do not enter the same withheld fee again as a separate upfront charge. The lender’s fee disclosure explains the actual treatment. [R06]
One offer only shows a minimum or an estimated payment
Obtain a full repayment schedule or a documented payoff assumption first. Multiplying a minimum by an arbitrary number of months does not establish the true total.
Normalize the inputs to money actually moving
For each offer, cash cost = total repayments + genuinely separate upfront charges − cash received. Total cash outlay is repayments plus those upfront charges. The unfunded need is the portion of your stated expense not covered by the net proceeds.
| Field | Include | Do not include twice |
|---|---|---|
| Required cash | The expense remaining after other confirmed funds | A reduction already reflected in the expense |
| Cash received | Actual net funds usable for that expense | Gross principal when charges are withheld |
| Total repayments | Principal, interest and charges included in the schedule | Upfront charges paid outside the schedule |
| Separate upfront charges | Actual additional payments not already counted | Fees that merely reduced cash received |
On a narrow screen, scroll inside the table to see every column.
This is a cash-flow accounting tool. It does not determine which charges are legally finance charges or calculate a Regulation Z APR. [R33]
Trace a withheld fee through both offers
Illustration: A has $1,000 principal, withholds $50 and therefore supplies $950. All repayments total $1,100. With no other upfront payment, A’s cash cost is $150: $1,100 − $950.
B supplies the same $950, requires $1,080 in repayments and has a genuinely separate $10 charge paid upfront. Its total outlay is $1,090 and cash cost $140. B’s cash cost is $10 lower in this constructed example. That arithmetic does not establish a better repayment schedule, access or collateral risk.
If you enter A’s $50 withholding as a separate charge too, you overstate its cost by $50. Resolve whether a fee is withheld, financed, included in payments or actually paid separately before entering it. [R06]
Read the warning when the cash amounts differ
If the expense needs $1,000 but an offer supplies $950, the worksheet reports a $50 shortage. A lower cost on insufficient funding is not a complete solution to the same expense. Do not invent free funding for the missing amount.
| Result | What it tells you | What it does not settle |
|---|---|---|
| Cash cost A and B | Outflow above cash received | Eligibility or product suitability |
| Total cash outlay | All entered payments and separate charges | Whether due dates fit income |
| Unfunded need | Shortage against the stated expense | Approval of a larger amount |
| Cash received difference | Whether disbursements match | Equal value from different payment timing |
| Cost difference B minus A | Direction and size of the dollar difference | A recommendation or ranking of creditors |
On a narrow screen, scroll inside the table to see every column.
A negative cost difference means B’s entered cash cost is lower; it does not mean the result itself is an error.
Keep term, collateral and credit checks beside the result
Two offers can provide equal net money and have different payment periods, security or inquiry requirements. A smaller total cost due tomorrow may be harder to meet than a larger cost spread over time. The worksheet does not discount future payments or calculate a risk-adjusted value.
Record the complete payment dates, each required amount, the assets pledged and the verification stage. Use the product-comparison pages to examine those differences instead of treating the dollar result as a universal score. [R28]
Use complete schedules and a consistent scenario
The base comparison assumes the agreements finish according to the entered totals. It excludes unplanned renewal, default costs, future borrowing and subsidies where repayments plus separate charges are below cash received. Those cases need a separately defined scenario.
For a loan with optional extra payments, generate the applicable schedule first and use its total only when that payment plan is permitted and realistic. Do not mix scheduled payoff on one side with a guessed early-payoff result on the other. [R06]
Resolve the remaining question before accepting an offer
Save each dated disclosure with the input figures. If an expense remains unfunded, obtain a suitable actual amount or change the expense plan. If a payment would displace essentials, revisit the budget even when one cash-cost result is lower.
The calculator runs locally without sending values or applying for credit. It does not fetch offers or confirm lender authorization. Use the tool directory to move to a budget, repayment or single-payment calculation when that is the next unresolved question.
Questions before your next step
Why is cash cost different from interest?
It measures all entered cash outflow above net proceeds, including a withheld or separately paid fee through its proper treatment. It is not just the interest line. [R06]
Can I compare a $950 deposit with a $1,000 deposit?
Yes, but read the net-amount and shortage warnings. They do not finance the same cash need on an equivalent basis.
What should I enter for an unknown fee?
Do not use zero as a substitute for unknown. Obtain the actual disclosure; the calculator cannot make a missing term accurate.
Related decisions
Ready for your next step?
Continue to the online application. Review the terms of any offer before you accept.
Sources and scope
Sources support general product facts, not a Bottom Dollar lender offer or endorsement. Numerical scenarios are illustrations, not available rates or terms.
