Sinking Fund Calculator
Add every known future cost, choose how often you are paid, and see one amount to set aside each paycheck.
Free · no signup · runs in your browser
The example below has three funds and a biweekly paycheck. Change any value and the result updates at once.
1. Your pay schedule
Your first contribution goes in on this date.
Changes the display only.
Optional. Blank means 0%.
Optional. Turns on the fit check.
2. Your sinking funds
The money must be ready before this date.
$120.00 per paycheck · 5 paychecks
The money must be ready before this date.
$60.00 per paycheck · 10 paychecks
The money must be ready before this date.
$126.32 per paycheck · 19 paychecks
Per fund
Holiday gifts
Funding- Remaining
- $600.00
- Due
- Dec 27, 2026
- Paychecks left
- 5
- Per paycheck
- $120.00
Car insurance (6 months)
Funding- Remaining
- $600.00
- Due
- Mar 13, 2027
- Paychecks left
- 10
- Per paycheck
- $60.00
Summer trip
Funding- Remaining
- $2,400.00
- Due
- Jul 13, 2027
- Paychecks left
- 19
- Per paycheck
- $126.32
Rounding up collects $0.08 over target.
When your total drops
Paychecks 1–5: $306.32
Oct 28, 2026 – Dec 23, 2026
Holiday gifts, Car insurance (6 months), Summer trip
Paychecks 6–10: $186.32
Jan 6, 2027 – Mar 3, 2027
Car insurance (6 months), Summer trip
Paychecks 11–19: $126.32
Mar 17, 2027 – Jul 7, 2027
Summer trip
Paycheck 20 onward: $0.00
From Jul 21, 2027
All funds are full
| Paychecks | Dates | Per paycheck | Funds still saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | Oct 28, 2026 – Dec 23, 2026 | $306.32 | Holiday gifts, Car insurance (6 months), Summer trip |
| 6–10 | Jan 6, 2027 – Mar 3, 2027 | $186.32 | Car insurance (6 months), Summer trip |
| 11–19 | Mar 17, 2027 – Jul 7, 2027 | $126.32 | Summer trip |
| 20 onward | From Jul 21, 2027 | $0.00 | All funds are full |
Keep this plan
Nothing is stored until you choose Save on this device.
MoneyCoach · Sinking fund worksheet
· Every two weeks (biweekly) · first payday Oct 28, 2026 · USD
Set aside now: $306.32 per paycheck (about $663.69 a month while this total lasts)
| Fund | Remaining | Due | Paychecks | Per paycheck | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday gifts | $600.00 | Dec 27, 2026 | 5 | $120.00 | Funding |
| Car insurance (6 months) | $600.00 | Mar 13, 2027 | 10 | $60.00 | Funding |
| Summer trip | $2,400.00 | Jul 13, 2027 | 19 | $126.32 | Funding |
| Paychecks | Dates | Per paycheck | Funds still saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | Oct 28, 2026 – Dec 23, 2026 | $306.32 | Holiday gifts, Car insurance (6 months), Summer trip |
| 6–10 | Jan 6, 2027 – Mar 3, 2027 | $186.32 | Car insurance (6 months), Summer trip |
| 11–19 | Mar 17, 2027 – Jul 7, 2027 | $126.32 | Summer trip |
| 20 onward | From Jul 21, 2027 | $0.00 | All funds are full |
Short by $6.32 per paycheck until Dec 23, 2026 ($300.00 available).
Per paycheck = (target − saved) ÷ paychecks before the due date, rounded up to the cent. Educational estimate, not financial advice. Made in your browser; nothing was uploaded. moneycoach.ai/free-tools/sinking-fund-calculator
How the calculator works
A sinking fund is money you put aside in small amounts for a cost you know is coming. For the full definition and more examples, read what a sinking fund is. This is our calculation method:
- Per paycheck, for one fund
- (target − already saved) ÷ paychecks before the due date, rounded up to the cent
- Set aside now
- sum of the per-paycheck amounts of every fund that is still saving
- Monthly average, while this total lasts
- set aside now × paychecks per year ÷ 12
- It holds until the first fund is due. After that the total drops, and so does the average.
- Payday counting. The calculator lists your real paydays from your next payday. It counts only paydays strictly before the due date, because the money must be ready before the bill arrives. A payday on the due date does not count.
- Rounding. Each amount is rounded up to the next cent, so a fund is never short. You can end a few cents over the target. The page shows that amount.
- Check it by hand. A $1,200 insurance bill with $300 saved and 9 monthly paydays left: ($1,200 − $300) ÷ 9 = $100.00 per paycheck.
Worked example: three funds, paid every two weeks
The first payday is Oct 16, 2026. Paydays then come every 14 days. These are the same three funds the calculator opens with.
Holiday gifts
Target $600.00, saved $0.00, so $600.00 remains. Due Dec 15, 2026. The last payday before that is Dec 11, 2026, which makes 5 paychecks.
$600.00 ÷ 5 = $120.00 per paycheck
Car insurance (6 months)
Target $780.00, saved $180.00, so $600.00 remains. Due Mar 1, 2027. The last payday before that is Feb 19, 2027, which makes 10 paychecks.
$600.00 ÷ 10 = $60.00 per paycheck
Summer trip
Target $2,400.00, saved $0.00, so $2,400.00 remains. Due Jul 1, 2027. The last payday before that is Jun 25, 2027, which makes 19 paychecks.
$2,400.00 ÷ 19 = $126.32 per paycheck
Add the three amounts: $306.32 per paycheck, or about $663.69 a month on average while this total lasts. The trip amount is $126.3157… before rounding. Rounded up to $126.32, 19 paychecks collect $2,400.08, which is $0.08 over the target.
The step-down schedule
When a fund is full, its amount stops and your total drops.
Paychecks 1–5 · Oct 16, 2026 – Dec 11, 2026
Holiday gifts, Car insurance (6 months), Summer trip
$306.32
Paychecks 6–10 · Dec 25, 2026 – Feb 19, 2027
Car insurance (6 months), Summer trip
$186.32
Paychecks 11–19 · Mar 5, 2027 – Jun 25, 2027
Summer trip
$126.32
Paychecks 20 onward · From Jul 9, 2027
All funds are full
$0.00
When the total does not fit
Enter the amount you can set aside per paycheck and the calculator compares it with your total. In the example, you can set aside $300.00. The plan needs $306.32, so it is short by $6.32 per paycheck until Dec 11, 2026. After that, the gifts fund is full and the total drops below your limit.
One way to close the gap: move a due date
- Move the summer trip two weeks later, from Jul 1, 2027 to Jul 15, 2027.
- That adds one payday, so the trip has 20 paychecks: $2,400.00 ÷ 20 = $120.00.
- The new total is $120.00 + $60.00 + $120.00 = $300.00. The calculator now says: Fits, with $0.00 left per paycheck.
Other ways work too. You can lower a target, for example a smaller gift budget, or count money you have already saved somewhere else. The calculator never picks a fund to cut. Which cost matters most is your decision.
Why biweekly is not “twice a month”
The number of paychecks in a year depends on your schedule. That changes both the count before each due date and the monthly average.
- Weekly
- 52
- paychecks a year
- Every two weeks
- 26
- paychecks a year
- Twice a month
- 24
- paychecks a year
- Monthly
- 12
- paychecks a year
Biweekly pay gives 26 paychecks, so some months have three paydays. In the worked example, April 2027 has three: Apr 2, Apr 16, Apr 30. Twice-a-month pay (the 15th and the last day) always gives exactly 24.
Monthly average = per paycheck × paychecks per year ÷ 12. For the example: $306.32 × 26 ÷ 12 = $663.69. If you assume two paychecks a month, you get $612.64, which is too low.
Savings interest (optional)
If your funds earn interest, enter the annual percentage yield (APY). Banks disclose APY under the Truth in Savings rule (Regulation DD). The calculator turns it into a rate per pay period and lowers the amount you must deposit.
Example: 4.00% APY, $6,000 due in 12 monthly paychecks. Without interest that is $500.00 a month. With interest it is about $491.07 a month.
The default is 0% on purpose. Rates change, and for short goals the difference is small. With an APY, the result is an estimate. It assumes a deposit on each payday, a rate that stays the same, and no tax on the interest.
Budget sinking fund, not bond sinking fund
This calculator uses the personal budgeting meaning: you save small amounts now for a cost you know is coming. In bond investing, a sinking fund is a schedule an issuer uses to pay off part of its bonds early, as Investor.gov explains; this tool does not calculate that.
Save, export and print
- Save on this device keeps one plan in this browser. Nothing is saved until you press it, and later edits are saved only when you press it again.
- Restore saved plan opens that plan on a later visit. Clear saved plan removes it from the browser.
- Download CSV gives a spreadsheet file with each fund and the step-down schedule.
- Print worksheet prints only the plan: your settings, the per-fund table, the schedule and the fit result. Choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog to keep a file.
Use it again on a later visit
A saved plan does not know what you deposited since you saved it. Bring it up to date in five steps:
- Choose Restore saved plan.
- Check Next payday. If the saved date has passed, the calculator moves it to your next payday on the same schedule. Change it if your real payday differs.
- Set Already saved for each fund to what that fund holds today. If you skip this step, the total is too high.
- Remove a fund whose cost you have already paid, or give it a new target and due date.
- Choose Save on this device again.
Privacy and limits
The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded. Your numbers are not put in the page address, cookies or analytics. A saved plan stays in this browser profile and is not encrypted, so do not save on a shared device.
What the calculator does not do:
- No tax on interest and no rates that change over time.
- No irregular paydays or paychecks that skip.
- No bank connection and no import of transactions.
- It is an educational tool, not financial advice.
Sinking fund calculator FAQ
How much should I put in each sinking fund per paycheck?
Take the target, subtract what you have already saved, and divide by the number of paychecks you get before the bill is due. Round up to the cent so the fund is never short. For example, $600 left and 5 paychecks gives $120.00 per paycheck.
How do you calculate several sinking funds at once?
Work out each fund on its own, then add the per-paycheck amounts of every fund that is still saving. That sum is what you set aside now. When a fund reaches its due date, its amount drops out and the total goes down.
Why does a biweekly schedule not equal two paychecks a month?
Biweekly pay comes every 14 days, so you get 26 paychecks a year, not 24. Two or three months each year have three paydays. Counting the real paydays before a due date gives a more exact amount than months × 2.
Does this calculator include interest?
Only if you enter an APY. The default is 0%, which is the safe choice for short goals. With an APY, the result is an estimate that assumes a deposit on each payday and a rate that does not change.
Is this the same as a bond sinking fund?
No. This calculator is for the personal budgeting meaning: money you set aside for a known future cost. In bond investing, a sinking fund is a schedule an issuer uses to pay off bonds before they mature.
Next steps
- Zero-based budget planner: put your per-paycheck total into a full budget.
- Emergency fund calculator: plan for costs you cannot predict.
- Free biweekly budget template: plan a budget around paydays every two weeks.
- Budget categories: find costs that deserve their own fund.
Track each fund in MoneyCoach
The calculator, save, CSV and print all work without the app. If you want to follow your progress, you can track each fund as its own goal in MoneyCoach, with a target, a deadline and a weekly saving pace. Goals are part of MoneyCoach Premium. Read more about goals in MoneyCoach.
Sources
- Consumer.gov: Making a Budget — Savings as a planned line in a budget.
- Investor.gov: Callable or Redeemable Bonds — The bond meaning of a sinking fund (sinking fund redemption).
- CFPB: Regulation DD (Truth in Savings), 12 CFR 1030 — The rule under which banks disclose the annual percentage yield (APY).
The payday counting, rounding and monthly-average rules are our own calculation method, shown in how the calculator works.
Prepared by MoneyCoach. Last updated October 9, 2026. Report a correction.
Important Disclaimer
This tool is for educational and planning purposes only. It does not provide financial, tax, or legal advice. Results are estimates based on your inputs and may differ from real-world outcomes.