Sinking Funds Tracker

Who this is for

Several savings pots on one page. A sinking fund is money put aside a little at a time for a cost you know is coming; each gets a row with target, saved and gap.

Households that would rather meet an annual bill from a pot built up over the year than from a single month's income, and anyone juggling more than two savings pots.

What this helps you track

• What each fund is for, when it is needed and how much it needs
• How much is in each fund and how much is still to find
• The monthly set-aside across all funds, which is the figure for the budget
• Where each fund is kept, so one account can hold several pots and still be reconciled

How to use it

1. List each fund with what it is for, the date the money will be needed and the target amount.
2. Write what is already in the fund in the saved column; the still-needed column is worked out from the two.
3. Decide what you will put into each fund per month and write it in the monthly column — the sheet totals it but does not suggest it.
4. Update the saved column each time money goes in or a fund is spent; the still-needed column and the totals follow.
5. Review the sheet when a fund is spent or a new cost appears; the browser version keeps the figures between visits.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How is this different from the savings goal tracker?

The goal tracker follows one goal through every deposit. This sheet holds many funds at once, one row each, and shows the monthly total they add up to. Use both if one fund deserves its own page.

Do the funds need separate accounts?

No. Many people keep all sinking funds in one account and use this sheet to know how much of the balance belongs to each purpose. The where column records the account so you can reconcile.

How do I work out the monthly amount?

Divide the still-needed figure by the number of months until the date needed. The sheet gives you both numbers and leaves the decision — and any rounding — to you.

What if I spend a fund?

Set its saved figure back to what is left, or to zero, and either remove the row or set a new target and date for the next occasion.