Savings Goal Calculator
A trip, a car, a down payment — name the number and see the exact date you'll hit it at your pace, with interest counted. Or flip it: see what per month gets you there in 1, 2, or 3 years.
Compounded monthly at your APY, contributions added at the end of each month. Rates change over time, so treat long timelines as estimates.
Building the safety net first? Size your emergency fund →Ultimate Budget Workbook
Every goal on this page is powered by the monthly contribution — and that comes straight out of your budget. The workbook helps you find the slack and point it at the goal.
See the Budget Workbook →Turning a wish into a date
A savings goal without a date is a wish. The math that turns one into the other is simple — what you need, minus what you have, spread over the months you're willing to wait, with interest quietly helping. This calculator runs it both directions: your pace gives you a date, or your deadline gives you a monthly number.
Start from the real gap
The goal isn't the sticker price — it's the sticker price minus what's already saved. Enter what you actually have set aside for this goal, and the timeline often gets months shorter before you've changed anything else.
Interest is a small, free tailwind
In a high-yield savings account, your goal money earns while it waits. On short goals that's coffee money; on a 3-year goal it can quietly cover the last several hundred dollars. The calculator compounds monthly at the APY you set, so the date already includes it.
Deadlines beat pace for big goals
If the date matters — a wedding, a lease ending, a trip that's booked — work backwards instead. The deadline rows below show the exact monthly amount for 1, 2, and 3-year timelines. Pick the one that fits your budget and automate it.
How do I figure out how much to save each month for a goal?
Divide what you still need by the months until your deadline, then adjust slightly down for any interest your savings earns. This calculator does it precisely — enter your goal and see the required monthly amount for 1, 2, and 3-year timelines, or set your own monthly pace and get the exact date you'll arrive.
Does savings account interest really matter for a goal?
For short goals, a little; for long goals, more than you'd think. At a typical high-yield savings rate, interest can shave a month or two off a multi-year goal or quietly cover the last few hundred dollars. This calculator compounds monthly at the APY you enter, so the date it gives you includes that help.
Should savings goals be in a separate account?
It helps. A dedicated account (or a bank that supports savings buckets) keeps goal money from blending into spending money, makes progress visible, and earns interest while it waits. Many people run one high-yield account with named buckets per goal — the math in this calculator works either way.
Is this savings goal calculator free?
Yes — free, no ads, no signup, and it runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or stored.