Most savings calculators answer “what will I end up with?” This one answers the question people actually plan around: “how much do I need to set aside each month?” Enter the target, what you already have, an interest rate and the deadline — and get the deposit that lands exactly on the goal, plus how much of it interest will cover for you.
Fill in the goal, rate and years (already-saved is optional).
A plan at a constant assumed rate — not financial advice. Real rates change; revisit the plan yearly with your actual balance.
How it works
The calculation inverts compound growth: your starting amount grows on its own, and the required contribution fills the remaining gap, with each deposit earning interest from its own month onward (end-of-period deposits, same convention as our compound-interest calculator). To reach 10,000 in 5 years from 1,000 at 4%, you need 132.42 per month.
Interest quietly shoulders part of the goal: in that example you deposit 8,945.20 in total and compounding covers the rest. At higher rates or longer horizons its share grows — which is why the same goal gets dramatically cheaper per month when you start earlier.
If what you already have will grow past the target by itself, the calculator says so instead of prescribing pointless deposits. And at 0% interest it degrades honestly to plain division: 10,000 from 1,000 in 5 years means exactly 150 per month.
Practical examples
An emergency fund by a deadline
Goal 10,000, starting from 1,000, at 4% in 5 years: 132.42 monthly. You contribute 8,945.20 over 60 deposits; interest adds the remaining thousand-plus. Without the head start of 1,000, the figure rises accordingly.
A trip fund from zero
5,000 in 3 years with no starting savings at 3%: 132.91 per month. Short horizons leave interest little room — here you deposit almost the whole goal yourself, so the rate barely matters next to discipline.
A long goal with a solid start
20,000 in 10 years from 5,000 at 5%: only 75.76 per month, because the starting amount compounds to over 8,200 by itself. Long horizons make targets surprisingly affordable.
Monthly vs quarterly deposits
The same 10-year goal needs 75.76 monthly or 228.82 quarterly — the quarterly figure is close to but slightly more than three months’ worth, because money arrives later and earns less. Pick the rhythm your budget can sustain.
Frequently asked questions
What does “already reached” mean?
That your starting amount, compounding alone at the given rate, meets or passes the target by the deadline — required deposits are zero. Anything you add just gets you there sooner or further.
Why is the required amount not just the goal divided by the months?
Because deposits earn interest from the month they land. Plain division would overshoot; the calculator credits each deposit’s future growth and asks you only for the remainder. At a 0% rate the two answers coincide exactly.
Which rate should I use for planning?
A rate you can defend: your bank’s term-deposit rate for a safe plan, or a conservative fund estimate for an investment plan. For money you will genuinely need on a date, prefer understating the rate — the calculator then errs toward saving slightly more.
What about tax on the interest?
Not modeled. In Serbia interest is generally taxed at 15% (with dinar-savings exemptions that change with regulations), so for precision enter an after-tax rate. On short horizons the effect on the monthly figure is small.
Should the target account for inflation?
If the goal is far away, yes — 10,000 in ten years buys less than today. Practical approach: inflate the target (at 3% inflation, a today-priced 10,000 goal becomes about 13,400 in ten years) and keep the rate nominal.
What if I miss a month?
Nothing dramatic — you are slightly behind the curve. Re-run the calculator with your current balance and remaining time to get the corrected deposit; catching up early costs less than catching up late.
When during the month does the deposit count?
At the end of each period, the standard ordinary-annuity convention. If you deposit at the start of each month instead, you will finish marginally ahead of the target — a pleasant rounding error, not a planning problem.
Is my financial goal visible to anyone?
No — the calculation runs entirely in your browser. Targets and amounts are never uploaded, and analytics receives no values.
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