To help you count the days before you’re a mega millionaire, I’ve put together the Savings Calculator to get you reaching your money goals sooner. Depending how how much you’ve got saved today, it may be a matter of months or several years before you’ve got enough dough saved to buy a car, buy a home, or even retire! The Savings Calculator is a fun tool that shows you how every dollar saved gets you closer to money saving nirvana.

If you need some ideas to help you get even closer to your savings goals, check out 50 Ways To Save $1,000 a Year. There’s nothing like FIFTY money saving tips that help you to painlessly stash some extra cash without losing a limb or getting a second job.

How to use the Savings Calculator:

Step 1: Open the Savings Calculator.

Step 2: How Much You Have: Enter the amount of money you have saved today.

Step 3: Annual Interest Rate: Enter the average interest rate for growth of your savings. This number is compounded monthly.

Step 4: Savings Goal: Enter your saving goal amount. Go ahead and enter a million bucks! Dream big!

Step 5: Time: Enter the number of years or months you have to save. Play around with this number to find a monthly savings rate that is sane for your lifestyle.

Step 6: Click Calculate. The Savings Report displays below and shows your Needed Monthly Contribution to meet your money savings goal.

Also, find out how many years it will take you to become a millionaire! Just be sure to send me your best when you’re sunbathing in Bora Bora!

Do you have what it takes to become a millionaire? Got any tips to help others stick to their long-term savings goals?

	397 Ways to Save Money Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less By Kerry K. Taylor

Credit card companies love it when you pay only the minimum balance since they earn a lot of interest while you spend years trying to pay off your credit card debt. Many credit card bills outline this minimum balance in bold just to highlight how little you need to pay back to stay in good standing.

But I want you to beat the minimum balance game. So I created the Credit Card Calculator to show you how many years it takes and how much interest you pay by sticking with minimum balance payments. So go grab your credit card statement, find your annual interest rate, and spare yourself from getting “the sads” while time is still on your side.

How to use the Credit Card Calculator:

Step 1: Open the Credit Card Calculator.

Step 2: Credit Card Balance: Enter the total amount you owe to the credit card issuer.

Step 3: Annual Interest Rate (APR): Enter the annual interest rate charged by your credit card issuer on your balance.

Step 4: Minimum Monthly Amount, Minimum Monthly Percentage: These are the minimum amounts you must pay each month on your credit card. The minimum payment is the greater of these two amounts:

• A fixed amount (for example, $15), or
• a percentage (for example, 4%) of the balance you owe.

Check your credit card agreement to see what formula your credit card issuer uses to calculate the minimum monthly payment you are required to pay on your credit card.

Step 5: Click Calculate. The Credit Card Payment Report displays below. Find out how many years it really takes to pay off a credit card when only the minimum balance is paid. You may just be shocked by how much total interest you’re paying. Hugs.

Use the Credit Card Calculator Payment Report to better understand the true impact of only paying the minimum balance on your credit cards. I’d love to see you beat those credit card companies by increasing your payments by just a bit and thus reducing your credit card debt faster!

More Credit Card Calculator Help:

• 5 Ways To Screw Your Credit Card Company
• 5 MORE Ways To Screw Your Credit Card Company

Got a credit card balance story to share? Have you beaten your credit card debt by increasing your payments? Ever used a credit card calculator to reduce your debt faster?

	397 Ways to Save Money Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less By Kerry K. Taylor

You might just be surprised with how much interest you’ll be paying with the wrong mortgage rate or be buried by the debt of a too pricy piece of property. It pays to do the math before falling in love with a home.

Use the Mortgage Calculator to:

• Learn how mortgage rates impact your mortgage payments.
• Evaluate if you’re ready for a mortgage refinance.
• Calculate monthly, weekly, or twice weekly payment schedules.
• Calculate mortgage rates, total payments, and total interest paid.
• Run the Mortgage Report to see how changing payment schedules lessens (or increases) the amount of interest paid.
• Make smarter financial decisions based on hard financial facts. You can’t argue with the mortgage calculator numbers.

How to use the Mortgage Calculator:

Step 1. Open the Mortgage Calculator.

Step 2. Mortgage Amount: Enter the total amount for your mortgage (for example: 325000).

Step 3. Term: Enter the length of the mortgage term. From the drop-down list, select the term duration (for example: Months or Years).

Step 4. Mortgage Rates: Enter your current mortgage rate.

Step 5. Payment Period: From the drop-down list, select the preferred payment period (for example: Monthly, Twice Monthly, Every Two Weeks, or Weekly).

Step 6. Click Calculate. Mortgage payments and mortgage rate results are calculated and display below. View number of mortgage payments, total mortgage paid with principal and interest, and total mortgage interest paid.

Step 7. Click View Report. A detailed Mortgage Calculator Interest Report opens.

Use this Mortgage Calculator Interest Report and Amortization Table to better understand the impact of current mortgage rates, to see how changes in mortgage payment schedules can lower or raise your interest costs, and to do the math before buying a too pricey piece of property.

Carl and I made this Mortgage Calculator just for you, so give it a try and use it as tool to keep you mortgage smart. Because banks are rarely our friends when it comes to signing up for a mortgage I think it’s best to take the initiative and DO THE MATH before shopping for a home or signing up for that so-called sweet mortgage rate. Lastly, before signing on the dotted line be sure to consider your total consumer debt and add your debt repayment to your monthly costs. You don’t want to get sunk by your dream home and turn the roof over your head into a nightmare.

	397 Ways to Save Money Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less By Kerry K. Taylor

Use the “Should You Buy a More Gas Efficient Car?” calculator to determine:

• The break even point of a new car, based on gas consumption.
• The yearly gas use for each car.
• The yearly gas cost for each car.

To use the “Should You Buy a More Gas Efficient Car?” Calculator:

1. Open the Should You Buy a More Gas Efficient Car? calculator.
2. Enter your Current Car information:
• Under Monthly Driving, enter how far you drive on a monthly basis. From the drop-down list, select distance in Miles or km.
• Under Gas Efficiency, enter the gas mileage for this vehicle. The Gas Mileage Calculator will help you figure this out.
• Under Price of Gas, enter the price paid for gas. From the drop-down list, select price in $ per Gallon or $ per Litre.
• Under Trade-in Price, enter the trade in value for your current vehicle.
3. Enter your New Car information:
• Under Gas Efficiency, enter the gas mileage for the new vehicle.
• Under Car Price, enter the price for the new car (don’t forget taxes and stuff!).
4. Click Calculate. The Results display.

Example Data:

Does it make sense for you to buy a more gas efficient car? Do the results surprise you?

	397 Ways to Save Money Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less By Kerry K. Taylor

Here’s the information you will need:

• Distance driven (Miles or km).
• Amount of fuel used (Gallons or Litres).
• Price paid for fuel.
• Want more information? Read the help.

Watch the Gas Mileage Calculator Video

Do you like?

	397 Ways to Save Money Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less By Kerry K. Taylor

To help go the distance and answer this gassing question, I’ve created the Gas Mileage Calculator to help determine the gas consumption of your vehicle.

My hope is you will save money on gas by knowing your car’s gas mileage and consequently working towards becoming more efficient.

Use the Gas Mileage Calculator to determine:

• Gas mileage in Miles per Gallon (USA).
• Gas consumption in Litres per 100km (Canadian).
• Cost per distance.

To use the Gas Mileage Calculator:

1. Open the Gas Mileage Calculator.
2. Under Distance Driven, enter how far you drove on a tank of gas. From the drop-down list, select distance in Miles or km.
3. Under Gas Used, enter the quantity of fuel consumed. From the drop-down list, select Gallons or Litres as your preferred unit of measure.
4. Under Price of Gas, enter the price you paid for gas. From the drop-down list, select $ per Gallon or $ per Litre.
5. Click Calculate. The Results display the Gas Mileage and Cost per Distance in both USA and Canadian measures.

Example Data:

Do the results surprise you? Do let me know what you think!

	397 Ways to Save Money Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less By Kerry K. Taylor

Since a few of you guys have asked a few questions, I made a little YouTube video thingy showing you the tool in action.

So, do you like my little “how to” video? Do I sound weird?

	397 Ways to Save Money Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less By Kerry K. Taylor

To help answer this age-old question, I have created a Rent vs. Buy Calculator for all Squawkfox readers. Use this tool to better compare the total costs of renting versus home ownership.

My hope is you will save big bucks by making a better informed decision as to whether renting or buying is the better option for you!

Use the Rent vs. Buy Calculator to:

• Calculate monthly rent and other renting expenses.
• Calculate home expenses, including: purchase price, mortgage rate, mortgage term, reno costs, home appreciation, property tax, maintenance, and many more costs.
• Calculate return on buying a home.
• Calculate return on renting by investing the down payment.

To use the Rent vs. Buy Calculator:

1. Open the Rent vs. Buy Calculator.
2. Financial Information: Enter the available savings for a down payment. Click ? for term definitions.
3. Rent Information: Enter your monthly rent and insurance costs. Click ? for term definitions.
4. Home Information: Enter the various costs of home ownership, including: purchase price, mortgage rate, mortgage term, home appreciation, property tax, maintenance, and many more. Click ? for term definitions.
5. Click Calculate. The Results Report lets you know if you should rent or buy.

Example Data:

Example Report:

Let me know what you think!

	397 Ways to Save Money Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less By Kerry K. Taylor

I would like to build more tools and would love your help in deciding which to create next! I’ve started this candidate list of possible tools:

• Rent Vs. Own
• When Can I Retire?
• Mortgage Amortization
• Mutual Fund Fee Impact
• Compound Interest
• Your ideas welcome!

If there’s a tool not on this list (or one you’d love to have next) please leave me a comment describing what I should build! Looking forward to your ideas!

fox

	397 Ways to Save Money Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less By Kerry K. Taylor

This tool will help you better manage debt and plan payments for debt reduction. My hope is you will save big interest bucks tomorrow by better managing and paying down debt today.

Use this tool for mortgages, loans, and any other debt which requires a plan of action!

Use the Loan Amortization Calculator to:

• Enter a loan amount and term duration.
• Calculate monthly, weekly, or twice weekly payment schedules.
• Calculate interest rates, total payments, and total interest paid.
• Run reports to view the Loan Amortization Report and to see the big debt reduction picture.

To use the Loan Amortization Calculator:

1. Open the Loan Amortization Calculator.
2. Loan Amount: Enter the total amount for the loan (for example: 325000).
3. Term: Enter the length of the loan term. From the drop-down list, select the term duration (for example: Months or Years).
4. Interest Rate: Enter the darn interest rate for the loan.
5. Payment Period: From the drop-down list, select the preferred payment period (for example: Monthly, Twice Monthly, Every Two Weeks, or Weekly).
6. Click Calculate. Results are calculated and display below. View payments, total paid, and total interest.
   
7. Click View Report. A detailed Loan Amortization Report opens in either a new tab or window (depends on your web browser settings). Use this report to better manage debt and plan payments for debt reduction.

Let me know what you think!

	397 Ways to Save Money Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less By Kerry K. Taylor