Dated savings plan
Tell us what comes in, what goes out and what you are saving for. You get the monthly amount, the real calendar date for each quarter of your goal, and, if the numbers are tight, a way to test how cutting an expense moves your date.
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Month-by-month schedule
How the plan is built
Surplus = take-home pay − total expenses. Deposits happen at the end of each month starting next month, and each month your balance grows by your savings rate (if you entered one) before the deposit is added.
Monthly amount needed is the smallest deposit, to the next cent, that gets your balance to the goal by your target date. With a 0% rate this is simply (goal − already saved) ÷ months. For example, $10,000 with $1,000 saved over 24 months is $9,000 ÷ 24 = $375.00 a month.
If your surplus is smaller than the amount needed, the plan shows the shortfall and the earliest date your surplus can reach the goal instead. The milestones are the first months your balance passes 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the goal.
Guides by category
Where each expense can be looked at. Guides marked “coming” are not published yet.
- Housing, food, transportation, utilities, phone, insurance and subscriptions: guides coming.
- Debt payments: how to pay off debt fast, snowball vs avalanche.
Private by design
Nothing you enter leaves your browser. There is no account and no upload; the plan is calculated on your device. Use the print button to save it as a PDF.
Frequently asked questions
How does the plan decide the monthly amount?
In “by a target date” mode it finds the smallest monthly deposit that reaches your goal by that date, counting your current savings and any savings rate you enter. In “as soon as possible” mode it uses your full monthly surplus and tells you when you would get there.
What is the monthly surplus?
Your monthly take-home pay minus the expenses you enter. It is the most you could set aside each month without changing anything.
What do the expense sliders do?
They let you try cutting a category by any amount from 0% to 50% and see how the date moves. They start at 0%. We do not suggest how much to cut; you decide what is realistic.
Do I need to enter a savings rate?
No. It defaults to 0%, which means the plan counts only your deposits. If your savings sit in an interest-bearing account, enter its APY to include the interest. See the high-yield savings calculator for more on rates.
When do deposits happen in the plan?
At the end of each month, starting one month from today, using the date on your device. That is why a plan always takes at least one month.
Does anything I enter leave my browser?
No. The calculations run on your device. Your entries are saved only in your browser’s local storage so the plan is there when you return, and you can remove them by clearing site data. See the privacy policy.
Sources
- CFPB: An essential guide to building an emergency fund (specific goals, regular saving) (checked October 16, 2026)