How to use the chart
- Type in what you are saving for and how much you need, then pick the number of steps. The line under the preview shows what each shape is worth.
- Download the PDF and print it at 100 % or actual size. Stick it somewhere you pass every day, such as the fridge, a door or the inside of a closet.
- Each time you move money into savings, color in shapes worth that amount and note the deposit in the log at the bottom of the page.
- Shade the progress bar up to your running total. The marks at 25, 50 and 75 % show the amount you need for each quarter of the goal.
Work from the top left, row by row, so the colored part grows like a bar and you can see at a glance how far you have come. The last shape on the chart is the finish line.
Choosing the number of steps
The number of steps sets the size of each deposit. Fewer steps mean bigger amounts and bigger shapes, which suits a goal you fund once or twice a month. More steps mean small amounts you can save often, and the chart fills in more frequently, which helps on a long stretch. As a rough guide, match one shape to a sum you can set aside without thinking twice, and count how many of those fit in a month.
| Goal | 50 steps | 100 steps | 200 steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 20 | 10 | 5 |
| 2,500 | 50 | 25 | 12.50 |
| 5,000 | 100 | 50 | 25 |
| 10,000 | 200 | 100 | 50 |
When the goal does not divide evenly, the chart rounds each step down to whole units, or to halves, tenths or cents if whole units would leave a much larger last step. The last shape takes what is left, so every chart adds up to your goal exactly.
Pair it with an automatic transfer
A chart works best when the saving happens without a decision every time. If your bank lets you schedule a recurring transfer, set one from your checking account to your savings account for the day after payday, and make the amount one shape or a few shapes. The money moves before it can be spent, and coloring in becomes a small routine at the start of each pay period.
Treat extra money the same way. A refund, a sold item or a week of lower spending can go straight into savings, and you color in the matching shapes that day. If a transfer ever has to be skipped, leave the shapes blank instead of erasing anything; the gap shows you what to catch up on.
The chart counts only what you put in. If the money sits in an account that pays interest, the compound interest calculator shows how deposits and interest add up over time.
Using the spreadsheet
The Excel file has one sheet with a summary at the top and a deposit log below. Type each deposit as a row with the date, the amount and a note if you like. The running total updates in every filled row, and the summary shows the goal, how much is saved, what is left, the percentage and a bar of 20 blocks, one for every 5 % of the goal. The goal cell holds the amount you entered here, and you can type over it. All totals are formulas, so a file preview that does not calculate may show them as zero or blank until the file is opened in a spreadsheet program.
Set the goal with a calculator
If you know when you need the money, the savings goal calculator turns a target and a date into a monthly amount, which you can then split into shapes. For a cushion against surprise bills, the emergency fund calculator works out how big it should be and how long it takes to build. To find room for the deposits in the first place, the budget planner splits your take-home pay into needs, wants and savings.
Frequently asked questions
Is the savings tracker free?
Yes. Make as many charts as you like, for your own goals or for a class, a family or a savings group. You do not sign up or leave an email address, and the only branding is a small line with our web address at the bottom of the page.
What if my goal does not split evenly?
Then the last shape takes the remainder. A goal of 1,234 in 100 steps, for example, becomes 100 steps of 12.34, and a goal of 999 in 200 steps becomes 199 steps of 4.99 and one of 5.99. The line under the title spells out the split, and the amounts on the chart always add up to your goal exactly.
What if a deposit does not match the amount of a shape?
Write the deposit in the log and add it to your running total. Then color in shapes until the colored amount reaches that total, and carry the part that does not fill a whole shape over to the next deposit. You can also shade a shape halfway to mark that it is half paid.
Can I change the goal later?
In the spreadsheet, yes: type the new amount into the Goal cell, and Left, Percent and the progress bar follow. The printed chart keeps the amounts it was made with, so for a new goal make a new chart here and copy your progress over.
Why are some characters missing from my goal name?
The PDF uses a basic font that covers English and most Western European letters, but no emoji and no other scripts such as Greek, Cyrillic or Chinese. Those characters are left out, a few rare accented letters print without the accent, and a note under the field tells you when that happens. The preview shows the name as it will print.
Which currencies can I use?
Any of the 20 currencies in the list. The chart shows the one you pick in the goal and at the progress marks, and the spreadsheet formats every amount in it. For a currency that the chart shows without cents, such as the yen, every step is a whole amount.