PluginBench
Skill
Official
Pass
Audit score 90

month-heads-up

anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins

30-day cash-flow forecast that flags critical obligations before month-end.

What is month-heads-up?

Runs on the 25th to pull your current cash position, upcoming obligations, and project the next 30 days of net cash flow. Identifies the tightest week and surfaces up to two actionable items—like invoices to chase or expenses to defer—so you can stay ahead of cash crunches.

  • Pulls current cash and receivables from QuickBooks, PayPal, and other connected payment platforms
  • Projects 30 or 60-day net cash flow and identifies the week with lowest projected balance
  • Flags recurring expenses (payroll, subscriptions, rent) and overdue/near-due invoices
  • Alerts when projected balance falls below a configurable comfort buffer (default: $2,000 or 50% of average monthly expense)
  • Surfaces two specific, actionable watches: invoices to chase and expenses to negotiate or defer
  • Offers to draft chase emails for flagged overdue invoices

How to install month-heads-up

npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins --skill month-heads-up
Prerequisites
  • QuickBooks connected and up-to-date (required; skill stops if QB is unreachable)
  • PayPal, Stripe, or Square account connected (optional; forecast will note if missing)
  • Access to recurring expense records and invoice aging in QuickBooks
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How to use month-heads-up

  1. 1.Install the skill using the provided npx command
  2. 2.Set up a monthly trigger for the 25th, or run manually on demand
  3. 3.Optionally pass `--horizon 60` to forecast 60 days instead of the default 30
  4. 4.Review the formatted brief showing current cash, projected end-of-period balance, and tightest week
  5. 5.Act on the two flagged items: chase invoices or defer/negotiate expenses as suggested
  6. 6.Use the offered draft chase emails to follow up on overdue invoices

Use cases

Good for
  • Run on the 25th of each month to get a clear picture of cash runway before month-end
  • Identify which customer invoices to prioritize chasing to avoid cash shortfalls
  • Spot recurring expenses that could be deferred or renegotiated in tight weeks
  • Catch negative-balance projections early and plan corrective actions
  • Compare 30-day vs. 60-day horizons to plan for seasonal or cyclical cash dips
Who it's for
  • Freelancers and small-business owners managing cash flow manually
  • Finance managers or bookkeepers monitoring monthly liquidity
  • Founders and operators who need early warning of cash crunches
  • Anyone using QuickBooks as their source of truth for cash and receivables

month-heads-up FAQ

What if QuickBooks is unreachable?

The skill stops immediately—QB is the required source of truth for cash forecasts. Reconnect QB and retry.

What if PayPal or Stripe is not connected?

The forecast runs from QB-only data and explicitly notes which platforms are excluded (e.g., 'PayPal not connected — PayPal receivables excluded').

Will the skill automatically send emails or initiate payments?

No. The skill only surfaces data and suggests actions. You must manually approve and execute any payments or chase emails.

Can I change the cash-buffer threshold?

Yes. The default is $2,000 or 50% of your average monthly QB expense; you can configure a custom threshold.

What if the forecast shows a negative balance in a week?

The skill flags that week as critical and surfaces it in the 'Two Things to Watch' section so you can plan corrective action (chase invoices, defer expenses, or arrange short-term financing).

Full instructions (SKILL.md)

Source of truth, from anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins.


name: month-heads-up description: Runs on the 25th — shows the next 30-day cash-flow outlook and flags anything that needs attention before month-end. Accepts optional 30 or 60 day horizon. allowed-tools: Read, WebFetch, Bash

Run the month-end heads-up. Pull forward-looking cash data and give the owner a clear "here's what the next 30 days look like" picture with specific things to watch.

Parse arguments:

  • --horizon (default: 30) — forecast window in days (30 or 60)

Step 1 — Current cash position

Using the cash-flow-snapshot skill workflow:

  1. Pull QuickBooks current cash and receivables balance.
  2. Pull PayPal settled balance and pending payouts.
  3. Combine for total available + incoming cash.

Step 2 — Upcoming obligations

  1. Pull recurring expenses from QuickBooks (payroll, subscriptions, rent/lease) due in the next 30 days.
  2. Pull any outstanding invoices past due or due within 14 days.
  3. Flag any payment that would push the balance below a comfortable buffer (default: <$2,000 or owner's QB average monthly expense × 0.5).

Step 3 — Cash-flow forecast

  1. Project 30-day net cash: current balance + expected inflows − known obligations.
  2. Identify the single tightest week (lowest projected balance).
  3. Flag if any week projects negative.

Step 4 — Two things to watch

Surface no more than two specific, actionable watches:

  • Which invoice(s) to chase now
  • Which expense(s) to defer or negotiate

Format as:

Month-End Heads Up — {current date}
Horizon: next {X} days

Cash today: ${amount}
Projected end-of-period: ${amount}
Tightest week: {date range} — projected ${amount}

TWO THINGS TO WATCH
1. {item} — {why it matters} — suggested action: {action}
2. {item} — {why it matters} — suggested action: {action}

Connector failures

If QuickBooks is unreachable, stop — the cash forecast requires QB as the source of truth. If PayPal is missing, run the forecast from QB-only data and note "PayPal not connected — PayPal receivables excluded from forecast." Same for Stripe/Square if missing.

Approval gates

  • Never initiate payments or send emails automatically. Surface the data and actions for the owner to take.
  • Never project revenue that hasn't been confirmed in QB or PayPal. Use conservative estimates only.

Output

Present the formatted brief and offer to draft chase emails for any flagged overdue invoices.