MAKE A PLAN

Picture your
savings goal.

Give your goal a timeline, or work backward from a date you have in mind. Then make a free printable tracker with your numbers.

Time to your savings goal12 months

Your numbers

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE

Planning estimate: every month is 1/12 of a year. Actual dates and leap years are not used. Bank maturity amounts for fixed deposits (FDs) or certificates of deposit (CDs) may differ.

Calculator inputs
USD
USD 1,200.00 · 1.2 thousand US dollars
USD
USD 0.00 · 0 US dollars
USD
Save this amount every month.USD 100.00 · 100 US dollars
Interest and monthly deposits
%
0% excludes interest.
Your money earns interest. Once that interest is added to your money, it earns interest too.
Interest stays in the account so it can earn more interest. This is not a schedule for paying money out.
At the start, new money earns interest that month. At the end, it starts earning interest next month. With 0% interest, both give the same result.
For an illustrative example, use Annual rate. Choose Annual yield only if your source says APY or effective annual rate.
Annual rate or annual yield?

Annual rate is the rate before interest earns interest. The calculator divides it across the number of times interest is added each year.

Annual yield already includes interest earning interest. With no deposits or withdrawals, a 12% annual yield means 12% growth over a year.

Example: a 12% annual rate with monthly compounding gives about 12.68% growth over a year. A 12% annual yield gives 12% growth. These examples assume no money is added or withdrawn.

USD • Amounts up to $100,000,000.00 (100 million US dollars). Up to 2 decimal places. Valid Indian or international commas are accepted. Rates 0–25%, up to 4 decimals.

YOUR MONEY, PICTUREDHypothetical estimate

Time to your savings goal

12 months

USD · International number style

Your target: $1,200.00

1.2 thousand US dollars

$100.00 each month takes the balance to $1,200.00 after 12 months.

$100.00 each month takes the balance to $1,200.00 after 12 months. Exact values are available in View numbers.$0$600$1,2000 mo6 mo12 mo
Saved balanceGoal
Your target$1,200.00
Gap today$1,200.00
Explain this

The timeline advances one month at a time until the balance first meets your goal. For a deadline, the model finds the smallest deposit in cents that gets there. Interest is optional and starts at zero. With compound interest, earned interest is added to your money every month. After it is added, it earns interest too.

Assumptions in this picture

All scenario amounts use USD. International number style. No currency conversion.

  • $0.00 already saved toward $1,200.00.
  • $100.00 monthly saving.
  • 0% annual rate (before compounding); compound interest added every month.
  • Planning estimate: every month is 1/12 of a year. Actual dates and leap years are not used. Bank maturity amounts for fixed deposits (FDs) or certificates of deposit (CDs) may differ.
  • End-of-month deposits.
  • Rates stay constant; taxes and fees excluded. Maximum horizon: 600 months.
View numbers
Current scenario breakdown · Every 12 months. Starting and final month included.
MonthContributedBalance
0$0.00$0.00
12$1,200.00$1,200.00
FREE TAKE-HOME TRACKER

Picture your goal.

Give your plan a place in everyday life. Download a goal map, a savings log, and a short check-in sheet, made with your numbers.

  1. 01 See where you are today
  2. 02 Record what you actually save
  3. 03 Adjust your next step
Customize your tracker
PDF options
Up to 40 characters. Appears only in your PDF.

3 pages · US Letter · Color · No signup

Created in your browser. Your numbers and goal name are not uploaded. This is a printable PDF to write on, with no editable form fields.

YOUR GOAL MAPUSD
Your target$1,200
Already saved$0
Left to save$1,200

One box = one planned month. Each amount is your planned total balance at that month’s end. Your starting savings are shown above.

Months 112 of 12

Month 1$100
Month 2$200
Month 3$300
Month 4$400
Month 5$500
Month 6$600
Month 7$700
Month 8$800
Month 9$900
Month 10$1,000
Month 11$1,100
Month 12$1,200

All 12 months are included in your PDF. Every future box starts blank. Record actual deposits, interest, and withdrawals in your savings log before marking progress.

THE PLAN FROM HERE

At $100.00 each month, the model reaches your goal in 12 months, without interest.

Goal-map preview · The PDF also includes your savings log and check-in sheet.

Save on this device

Other people using this browser may see your saved numbers. Saving is optional.

A picture of one set of assumptions, not a prediction or personal recommendation. See the math behind it.

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PICTURE

Small steps have a destination.

USD example. Calculator settings do not convert this article’s amounts.

A $1,200 goal, $0 already saved, and $100 saved each month reaches the target in 12 months, with no interest. Saving $150 a month reaches it in eight months.

The model checks the balance month by month. For a deadline, it finds the smallest monthly deposit in whole cents that reaches the target.

Read the step-by-step guide →

Keep the assumptions in view.

Months are equal in length; actual dates and leap years are not used. Bank fixed-deposit (FD) or certificate-of-deposit (CD) maturity amounts may differ. Deposits are regular and rates are fixed. Goals beyond 600 months are shown as outside the modeled period, not automatically impossible. Taxes and fees are excluded.

What if I have already reached my goal?

The result is zero months and no required new saving. You can set a different target if you want to explore another possibility.

Explore growth over time