Set aside money now for a planned future expense — a car, a vacation, a new roof. Enter your goal and timeline to get the exact monthly savings amount.
Calculated on your device. Nothing is uploaded or stored on a server.
Enter your goal amount, how many months you have until you need it, anything you've already saved toward it, and (optionally) the annual return you expect if the savings sit in an interest-bearing account. The planner tells you exactly how much to set aside each month.
A sinking fund is money set aside gradually and specifically for a known future expense, so it doesn't come as a surprise or need to go on a credit card. Unlike an emergency fund for the unexpected, a sinking fund targets something you can already see coming — an insurance premium, holiday spending, a car repair fund, or a big purchase.
Many people use a dedicated savings account or budget category for each sinking fund so the money isn't accidentally spent elsewhere.
For short time horizons, the return rate barely changes your required contribution — the main driver is simply the goal amount divided across your months.
Common questions, answered.
If you're not entering a return rate, it's simply (goal − current savings) ÷ months remaining. If you add an expected return, the calculator uses the future-value-of-an-annuity formula to account for growth on your contributions.
For short time horizons (under a year or two) it usually makes little difference. For longer-term goals in an interest-bearing account, including a realistic rate slightly lowers your required monthly contribution.
If your current savings, grown at your expected return, already meet or exceed your goal, the calculator will show $0 needed per month.
An emergency fund covers unpredictable expenses. A sinking fund is for a specific, planned future expense with a known (or estimated) cost and date.