Savings Challenges and Budget Habits
Savings goal by date.
Pick the amount you want, the date you need it and what you already have. See how much to save each week, every two weeks, twice a month or each month, with optional interest. Use the savings goal calculator if you already know the monthly amount and want the date. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Your goal
What to save
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked example
Goal $6,000, $1,000 already saved, 12 months away, saving monthly with no interest: $5,000 / 12 = $416.67 a month. Saving every two weeks instead (26 deposits in a year) is $192.31 each time. At 4% a year with interest credited each month the monthly amount drops to $405.75, because $131.01 of the goal comes from interest.
How it works
Number of deposits n = days to the date x deposits per year / 365.25, rounded, at least 1. With no interest, deposit = (goal - already saved) / n. With interest, r = annual rate / deposits per year, and deposit = (goal - saved x (1 + r)^n) x r / ((1 + r)^n - 1), with deposits at the end of each period. If your current savings plus interest already reach the goal the deposit is $0.00.
The interest rate is whatever you type; the tool assumes none and does not know your account's rate or fees. Interest is not guaranteed.
Sources and basis (opened 2026-10-08): arithmetic on the numbers you enter. No prices, rates or national averages are assumed.
FAQ
How much should I save each month to reach my goal?
Subtract what you have saved from the goal and divide by the number of months. For a $6,000 goal with $1,000 saved and 12 months to go that is $416.67 a month.
How much should I save each week?
Choose "Every week" and the tool divides the remaining amount over the weekly deposits until your date.
How does interest change the amount?
A higher rate lowers the deposit. At 4% the example falls from $416.67 to $405.75 a month.
What if my date is very close?
The tool always counts at least one deposit. For a date a few days away the single deposit is nearly the whole remaining amount.
How is this different from the savings goal calculator?
This one starts from the date and finds the deposit. The savings goal calculator starts from the monthly deposit and finds the date.