Turn your financial goals into a plan.

1. Turn each goal into a clear target

Give every goal a name, an estimated cost in today's money and a realistic deadline. Be specific about what the target includes: for a home, that might mean a deposit and purchase costs rather than the entire property price; for education, include tuition and living costs; for a trip, include transport, accommodation and a buffer.

Separate goals that have different deadlines or priorities. This makes it easier to see which goals need attention soon and which have more time to grow.

2. Understand how inflation changes the target

The amount something costs today may not be enough when you are ready to pay for it. This planner grows the target using your annual inflation assumption, compounded over the years remaining.

This is an illustration, not a forecast. Different goals can experience different rates of price growth, so use a reasonable estimate and revisit it over time.

3. Count existing savings before estimating new contributions

Enter only money you have genuinely set aside for that goal. The calculation projects that balance forward using the same assumed return as the rest of the plan. Avoid counting the same savings toward multiple goals, and keep an emergency reserve separate from money committed to a future purchase.

If the money is held in an account or investment with a different risk or return profile, the result is only an approximation. You can use a more conservative return assumption to test that uncertainty.

4. Set a monthly amount you can sustain

The planner compares your planned monthly contribution with an estimate of the amount needed to reach the target. Contributions are assumed to be made at the end of each month. A regular amount that fits your budget is generally more useful than a high figure you cannot maintain.

• Start with essential bills, debt commitments and a suitable emergency reserve.
• Use an amount you can maintain through ordinary months, not only your best months.
• If your income changes, test a gradual increase in contributions rather than assuming it will happen automatically.

5. Decide what to do when a goal has a shortfall

A gap is a planning signal, not a failure. Change one assumption at a time so you can see which trade-off helps most.

Do not rely on an unusually high return just to make the shortfall disappear. Higher potential returns usually come with greater uncertainty and may not suit a goal that is close.

6. Prioritise goals with different deadlines

Goals are not interchangeable. A near-term tuition payment or house deposit may need more certainty and access to funds than a retirement goal decades away. Consider the consequences of missing each deadline, how flexible it is and how much of the target is already funded.

The combined monthly figure is a mathematical estimate across the goals you have entered; it is not a recommendation about how to divide your money. If the total is unaffordable, rank your goals, fund essential priorities first and revisit the rest of the plan.

7. Review the plan as life changes

Revisit your targets and assumptions when your income, family needs, expected costs or deadlines change. An annual review is a useful starting point; review sooner after a major life event or a large change in market conditions.

Compare the new estimate with your actual savings and contributions. This page does not automatically save your goals, connect to financial accounts or track investment performance, so keep your own record if you want to compare plans over time.