Calculators for hitting a savings target
Four tools that turn a target into a plan. Whatever you're saving for — a safety net, a house deposit, tuition, or a trip — get the exact monthly amount that gets you there on time.
Set and reach a target
Savings Goal
targetPick a target — a deposit, a fund, a trip — and get the exact monthly amount to hit it, or how long your current pace will take.
Open calculatorEmergency Fund
safety netSize your safety net in months of essentials, see how far along you are, and how long until it's fully funded at your pace.
Open calculatorCollege Savings
tuitionProject the inflated cost of college, track your plan against it, and find the monthly amount to fully fund a 529 by enrolment.
Open calculatorVacation Savings
the tripEnter your trip budget and travel date to get the exact monthly amount to save — and land your holiday paid for, in cash.
Open calculatorBuild savings in the right order
Not every goal is equal. Here's the sequence that keeps you secure first, then funds the things you're aiming for.
Build the safety net first
Before any other goal, size an emergency fund — a few months of essential expenses in cash. It's what stops a surprise from becoming debt.
Set the target
Pick any goal and a date, and get the exact monthly amount to reach it — or find out how long your current pace will take.
Fund the big milestones
For long-dated goals like tuition, project the inflated future cost and the monthly amount to fully fund it by the deadline.
Save for the fun stuff
Pay for the trip in cash instead of on a card. Enter the budget and travel date to get the monthly amount that lands it paid-for.
How to save with intent
A goal without a monthly number is a wish. The trick to reliable saving is working backwards: start from the amount you need and the date you need it, and let the math tell you what to set aside each month.
Order matters too. A fully funded emergency fund comes before discretionary goals, because it's the buffer that keeps an unexpected bill from wiping out everything else — or pushing you onto high-interest debt.
Emergency fund
Three to six months of essential expenses kept in accessible cash. It's the foundation of every plan — the reason a job loss or a car repair doesn't become a debt spiral.
SMART targets
Goals that are specific, measurable and time-bound. "Save $15,000 for a deposit in three years" can be turned into a monthly number; "save more" cannot.
Sinking funds
Separate pots for separate goals, each funded a little every month. Keeping them apart stops one goal's money from being quietly spent on another.
Goal inflation
Distant goals cost more than today's price tag. Tuition and big-ticket items rise over time, so long-dated targets should be set against the future cost, not the current one.
High-yield savings
Short- and medium-term goals belong in cash, not the market — but in an account that actually pays interest, so inflation doesn't erode the balance while you wait.
Automation
The saved dollar you never see is the one that stays saved. Automatic transfers on payday turn a good intention into a system that runs itself.