Savings Goal Calculator

Find out exactly how much you need to save each month to reach any financial goal — a house down payment, emergency fund, vacation, or any target amount by a specific date.

Part of our Finance Calculators collection.

Savings Goal Calculator

Free online calculator

$

How much do you want to save?

$

How much have you saved so far?

%

Use 4–5% for HYSA, 0% for no-interest savings

How to Use This Calculator

  1. 1

    Enter your savings goal amount.

  2. 2

    Add how much you've already saved toward this goal.

  3. 3

    Set the number of months until your deadline.

  4. 4

    Enter the expected annual return on your savings (use 0 if in a checking account, 4–5% for a high-yield savings account).

  5. 5

    See the exact monthly amount you need to save.

How Monthly Savings is Calculated

Monthly Payment = (Goal − Current × (1+r)^n) × r / ((1+r)^n − 1)

Where r = monthly rate, n = months. If the return rate is 0, it simplifies to: (Goal − Current) / months

Example Calculation

Example: Save $20,000 for a down payment in 24 months

Inputs

goalAmount: 20000currentSavings: 2000months: 24annualReturn: 4.5

Result

$717/month

With $2,000 already saved and 4.5% annual return in a HYSA, you need to save $717/month for 24 months to reach $20,000.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's a good interest rate to use for my savings?
As of 2025, high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) from online banks pay 4–5% APY. Regular savings accounts at big banks pay much less (often under 0.5%). Use a HYSA to maximize your savings growth.
What if I can't save that much per month?
You have three options: extend your timeline (more months), increase your starting balance, or reduce your goal. This calculator lets you adjust all three to find a plan that works for your budget.

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