Multi-goal Cash Allocation
Give a limited monthly savings budget a clear job. Track earmarked balances, goal funding and cash left over on one monthly ledger.
- Methods explained
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- Compare strategies
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Available savings cash
Fictional starting goals. Enter cash available after taxes, bills and debt payments. This worksheet does not change your household or debt records.
Earmarked goals
Priority first uses lower numbers first. Proportional allocation uses remaining target gaps. Money already in a goal is counted only in that goal.
2 of 8 goals. Moving a row changes allocation only when priorities tie. New goals start with a fictional $1,000 target; edit it to match your plan.
Dated cash additions
0 of 60 additions. Enter after-tax amounts available in the selected month; multiple additions in one month are added together.
No one-off additions. Only the monthly budget funds goals.
Allocation summary
Compare allocation methods
Same cash, goals and dates. The full ledger below uses priority first.
| Method | Funded by deadline | Funded at horizon | Remaining goal gap | Ending goal balances | Modeled interest | Unallocated cash | Budget shortfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priority first | 1 of 2 | 2 of 2 | $0.00 | $4,000.00 | $0.00 | $600.00 | $0.00 |
| Proportional to remaining gaps | 1 of 2 | 2 of 2 | $0.00 | $4,000.00 | $0.00 | $600.00 | $0.00 |
Goal outcomes
| Goal | Status | Completed | Deadline | Gap at deadline | Ending balance | Remaining gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency reserve | Completed late | 2027-04 | 2027-03 | $200.00 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Travel | On time | 2027-07 | 2027-09 | $0.00 | $1,000.00 | $0.00 |
Balances by plan month
Month 0 is the opening earmarked balance. Contributions enter at the start of each month, then the entered return applies. Completed goals are reserved as cash and stop earning returns.
Monthly cash ledger
| Month | Available | Allocated | Unallocated this month | Unallocated balance | Budget shortfall | One-off cash | Net new cash | Unallocated cash used | Prior gap covered | Remaining budget gap | Modeled interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10 | $300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2026-11 | $300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2026-12 | $300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-01 | $300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-02 | $300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-03 | $300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-04 | $300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-05 | $300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-06 | $300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-07 | $300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-08 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-09 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $600.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Selected goal ledger
Opening balance plus new contributions plus modeled interest equals closing balance. After a goal first reaches its target at month-end, that balance is reserved as cash with no further returns.
| Month | Opening | Contribution | Modeled interest | Closing | Remaining gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10 | $1,000.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $1,300.00 | $1,700.00 |
| 2026-11 | $1,300.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $1,600.00 | $1,400.00 |
| 2026-12 | $1,600.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $1,900.00 | $1,100.00 |
| 2027-01 | $1,900.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $2,200.00 | $800.00 |
| 2027-02 | $2,200.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $2,500.00 | $500.00 |
| 2027-03 | $2,500.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | $2,800.00 | $200.00 |
| 2027-04 | $2,800.00 | $200.00 | $0.00 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-05 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-06 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-07 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-08 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 |
| 2027-09 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,000.00 | $0.00 |
How it works›
Cash conservation. Monthly cash and dated additions are netted first. Negative cash uses any unallocated reserve, then creates a budget gap. Later positive cash covers outstanding gaps before funding goals. Opening earmarked balances are never withdrawn or counted as new cash. Allocated contributions plus new unallocated cash equal the remaining available cash, in integer cents.
Priorities and timing. Priority first uses lower numbers first; ties follow entry order. Proportional allocation splits available cash by remaining target gaps; leftover cents go to the largest fractional shares, with entry order breaking ties. Contributions occur at the beginning of the month. Unallocated cash earns no interest.
Returns and reserved goals. Return defaults to zero. The entered nominal annual percentage is divided by 12 and applied after contributions, rounded to cents each month. Returns apply only until a goal first reaches its target at month-end; completed balances then remain reserved as cash. Interest above the target stays in that goal. Negative returns can prevent a goal from finishing. This is an assumption, not a forecast; targets are nominal and no taxes or inflation are modeled.
Deadlines and horizon. A goal may finish late. An unfinished goal with a deadline beyond the displayed horizon remains visible without claiming it is impossible. Up to eight goals and 600 months, ending by December 2150. No bank transfers, tax contribution limits or household/debt changes are performed.