Savings goal calculator
A savings target without a monthly figure is not a plan, it is a wish. This calculator answers the two questions that turn it into one: how much you have to set aside each month, or how long it will take with what you can set aside today.
- Runs on your phone, not on a server
- We store nothing
- No sign-up, no ads
Your numbers
Switch between the two questions with the buttons above. The other fields stay as they are.
You need to set aside
n/d
Fill in the fields to see your result.
- Total you will contribute
- n/d
- What the return adds
- n/d
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The two questions behind any savings goal
Every goal can be looked at from both ends, and it is worth doing both. «I want €15,000 for a deposit in three years» gives you a monthly figure; if that figure does not fit your budget, the goal is not real and it is better to know on day one.
Flipping it round («I can set aside €300 a month, when do I get there?») takes you out of frustration and into a plan. Sometimes the answer is that the deadline has to stretch, sometimes that the target has to come down. Both are useful answers; having neither is not.
Monthly = (Target − Saved × (1+i)ⁿ) × i ÷ ((1+i)ⁿ − 1)At 0% return it simplifies to the obvious: what is missing divided by the months. i is the monthly return and n the number of months.
When to enter a return, and when to leave it at zero
If the money is going to sit in a savings account waiting, leave the return at zero. It is the honest option and it stops you planning around money that is not going to appear.
A percentage only makes sense if the horizon is long and the money will sit in something that can grow. Even then, for goals under three or four years it pays to be conservative: with a fixed deadline, a fall just before it leaves you short with no room to wait for a recovery.
Why goals get abandoned, and how to avoid it
The usual reason a goal dies is not that the monthly figure was impossible, but that saving was whatever was left at the end of the month. And at the end of the month there is almost never anything left.
What works is the reverse: the contribution leaves on payday and the rest is what you live on. The figure this calculator just gave you is exactly what to move on that day.
- Give it a name and a date. «Save more» is not a goal; «flat deposit, June 2029» is.
- Break large goals into stages and mark each one: visible progress is what keeps the habit alive.
- Review the monthly figure every six months. If you got a raise, raise it; if not, stretch the deadline rather than quit.
Tracking the goal without redoing the maths
Working out the monthly figure is day one. The hard part is knowing, five months later, whether you are ahead or behind without opening the calculator again.
Neto's savings goals store the target with its date, record every contribution and show you the percentage covered and whether your current pace gets there in time. That is the part this page cannot do for you, because it needs to remember what you did last month.
The other calculators
Frequently asked questions
How much should I save each month?
The figure comes from your target and your deadline, not from a general rule. For reference, the 50/30/20 rule suggests putting 20% of net income towards saving, but that is a starting point: what governs it is how much you need and by when.
What if I cannot contribute one month?
Nothing breaks: the deadline moves. Come back to the calculator with what you have actually saved and it will give you the new monthly figure or the new date.
Should I save for a goal or pay down debt first?
If the debt is expensive (cards, revolving credit, instalments) reducing it first almost always wins, because the interest you save is certain. With a low-rate mortgage the answer stops being obvious and depends on your case.
Can I use it for a house deposit?
Yes, it is one of the most common uses. Remember to include purchase costs in the target as well as the deposit: taxes and legal fees usually add a meaningful percentage of the price.
Is the return guaranteed?
No. If you enter a percentage, the calculator assumes it holds every single month, and that does not happen in reality. It is a projection, not a promise, and this page recommends no product.
Do you store the data?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing leaves it.