Exact monthly amount to save to hit any goal by any date.

Goal-based savings reverses the usual question. Instead of "how long will it take me to save X at Y per month?" it asks "how much per month to reach X by a specific date?" This is often more useful for planning — you know the goal and deadline, it helps to know the monthly commitment.

Common goals: house deposit (often 20k-60k over 3-5 years), wedding (5k-30k over 1-3 years), sabbatical (10k-40k over 2-4 years), vehicle purchase (5k-25k over 1-3 years), education (5k-30k over 1-5 years). Each has the same shape: target amount, target date, starting position, expected return.

The math accounts for compound growth on both existing savings and new contributions. If you already have some saved toward the goal, that amount grows over the period — reducing the monthly contribution needed. At longer horizons (3+ years), return rate assumptions meaningfully affect the contribution figure; at short horizons (1-2 years), interest matters less and the math is closer to simple division.

How to use it

Enter goal amount, months until deadline, current savings toward this goal, and expected annual return. The tool produces the monthly contribution needed. Adjust return assumption to match where you'll keep the money — cash savings (2-4% current), tax-advantaged cash savings account (similar), diversified investment (5-8% long-term).

What the result means

The monthly figure is the exact contribution needed to hit the goal on target, assuming the stated return materialises. Real returns vary — actual outcome may be ahead or behind target. Review annually and adjust monthly contribution if significantly off track.

Planning tool, not financial advice.

Run it with sensible defaults

Using goal amount of 30,000, months to goal of 36, current savings toward goal of 5,000, expected annual return of 3%, the calculation works out to 652.03. Nudge the inputs toward your own situation and the output recalculates instantly. The defaults are meant as a starting point, not a recommendation.

The levers in this calculation

The inputs — Goal Amount, Months to Goal, Current Savings Toward Goal, and Expected Annual Return — do not pull with equal force. Not every input has equal weight. Flip one at a time toward extreme values to feel which ones move the needle most for your situation.

How the math works

Solves the future value annuity formula for monthly payment. Accounts for compound growth on both current savings and new contributions over the period. The working is transparent — you can verify every step yourself in the formula section below. No black box, no opaque "proprietary model".

How to use this beyond the first run

Re-run the calculation once a year. Life changes — pay rises, new expenses, interest-rate shifts — and the figure that looked right 12 months ago often isn't today. Annual recalibration keeps the plan honest.

What this doesn't capture

The calculation assumes a steady savings rate and a stable interest rate. Real saving journeys include emergencies, windfalls, and rate changes — especially in easy-access products. The figure is a direction of travel, not a guarantee.