Work out the monthly contribution needed to reach a savings target — a deposit, a buffer, a fund — given what you already have, your timeframe and an assumed return.
What this calculator estimates
A savings goal is rarely the hard part — the monthly discipline to reach it is. This tool works backwards from the number you want. Tell it your target, what you already have set aside, how long you have, and a sensible return on your savings, and it returns the regular monthly contribution that closes the gap. It also splits the result into what you put in yourself and what compounding does for you, so you can see how much of the work the timeframe is doing.
What drives the number
Three levers move the answer, and not equally. Time is the strongest: a longer horizon lets compounding carry more of the load and softens the monthly figure. Your starting balance matters because it grows the whole way through, not just at the end. The assumed return matters least over short periods and more over long ones — and it is an assumption, not a promise. A high-interest savings account or term deposit will usually sit below the default here, while longer-term growth assets carry risk the calculator does not model. Tax and fees quietly reduce real returns, so treat the growth line as indicative.
Use it as a starting point
If the monthly figure looks steep, the question is usually structural rather than about willpower — a longer timeframe, a different home for the savings, or whether the goal itself is sized right. Where the goal is a deposit, how the resulting loan is built often matters as much as the target. Book a strategy session and we will run your real numbers properly.
General information only — not personal financial product or credit advice. The estimate is indicative, returns are not guaranteed, and your actual position depends on your full circumstances. AeFin is an Australian Credit Representative (CR 464548) of Finsure (ACL 384704).