Turn predictable surprises into small, visible contributions.
Track sinking funds before the expense becomes urgent
Counts gives future expenses their own envelopes, targets, dates, balances, and transaction history. You can see what is already saved, what remains, and how the contribution fits beside today’s bills instead of keeping one unexplained savings total.
Start freeKeep every purpose visible
Separate car repairs, insurance, holidays, school costs, and travel even when the cash shares one savings account.
Connect the target to a date
A goal amount and deadline turn “save more” into a monthly or per-paycheck pace you can evaluate.
Spend from the same plan
When the expense arrives, record it against the funded envelope and decide whether the goal should refill for another cycle.
How to get started
Name the real expense
Choose a target that is specific enough to estimate and important enough to deserve its own balance.
Calculate the pace
Subtract what is already saved from the target, divide by the periods remaining, and compare that contribution with the rest of the plan.
Review when facts change
Update the price or deadline, reduce a lower priority, or extend the timeline rather than leaving an impossible target untouched.
A sinking fund is not the same as emergency savings
A sinking fund prepares for a known category or dated goal. Emergency savings protects against events whose timing and size cannot be predicted. Keeping the purposes separate tells you how much general protection remains after a planned expense.
Routine maintenance belongs in a maintenance fund. A failure much larger than that fund may require emergency savings. The distinction does not need to be perfect; it needs to prevent a holiday budget from quietly consuming the job-loss buffer.
Use one calculation, then apply judgment
Target minus amount saved, divided by periods remaining, gives the required contribution. If $900 is due in seven months and $200 is saved, the simple pace is $100 per month.
The answer is a planning signal, not a command. If the pace is unaffordable, change the target, timing, or another category deliberately. The free sinking-fund calculator lets you test those trade-offs before creating the envelope.
Avoid a wall of tiny goals
Create a separate fund when its balance changes a decision. Home Maintenance may be enough until a known roof replacement needs its own deadline. Gifts may cover the year until one large event deserves separate planning.
Groups and custom icons keep related envelopes scannable. The strongest system is usually the smallest set that preserves important boundaries. More labels are not automatically more control.
Keep cash location and cash purpose separate
Several sinking funds can share one bank account because the envelopes keep the purpose-level ledger. Counts accounts describe where the money lives; envelope balances describe why it is there.
Reconcile the account regularly so the total behind those goals remains trustworthy. Before moving savings between banks or choosing an investment, consider timing, access, fees, risk, and any tax consequences for your circumstances.
Questions people ask before starting
What expenses belong in a sinking fund?
Common examples include annual insurance, gifts, school costs, car and home maintenance, travel, medical deductibles, and planned replacements.
Can several sinking funds use one savings account?
Yes. The account can hold the cash while separate Counts envelopes maintain each purpose and balance.
What if I cannot meet the calculated contribution?
Use the result to make a visible trade-off: change the target, extend the date, reduce a lower priority, or plan a partial payment.
Are goal envelopes included on Free?
Counts Free includes a limited set of goal, annual, and debt envelopes. The current limits are listed on the Pricing page.