Christmas savings calculator
Add up what you expect to spend on gifts, travel, food, and hosting, then set your date for early December. It shows the weekly or per-paycheck amount to have it all set aside before the season starts.
Enter an amount and a future date to see how much to save.
Rough example: $1,200 over about 6 months is around $200/month, $46/week, or $92 per paycheck. Enter your own amount and date above for your number.
What to include
Gifts are only part of it — add travel, food and drink for gatherings, decorations, cards and postage, tips, and any donations you make this time of year. Listing it out now usually lands higher than a guess, and that is the number worth saving toward.
Start early, finish before December
Set your target date to late November or early December so the money is ready before the shopping starts, not arriving in January as a card bill. Starting in the summer means a small weekly amount; starting in November means a large one.
Common questions
- How much should I save each month for Christmas?
- Divide your total holiday budget by the months between now and December. A $1,200 budget over six months is $200 a month. Enter your own total above.
- When should I start a Christmas savings fund?
- January isn't too early. Spreading the same total over eleven months instead of three cuts the monthly amount by roughly two-thirds.
- How do I keep from dipping into it?
- Keep it in a separate savings account and set an automatic transfer for the per-paycheck amount so it builds without a monthly decision.
Saving for more than one thing?
The full planner keeps every goal in one place, tracks progress with a visual tracker, and lets you shift a target date and see the new amount instantly. Still free, still private, still stored only on your device.
Open the full planner