Some bills only show up once a year, and they have a habit of landing at the worst time. This 30-second video shows a simple before and after using a $480 car insurance renewal as the example.
Step 1: Spot the big once-a-year bills
Look back at last year and write down anything that came all at once: insurance renewals, car registration, holiday gifts, school fees. In the video, it is a $480 car insurance bill due in December.
Step 2: Divide by the months you have
Take the bill and divide it by the number of months until it is due. Starting in January, $480 divided by 12 is $40 a month.
Step 3: Set that amount aside each month
Move the monthly amount into its own fund and log it. Each fund gets its own line, so the car money stays separate from the Christmas money.
Step 4: Check what's saved and what's left
The tracker shows how much is already in each fund and how much is still to go, so you can see at a glance where things stand when the bill arrives.
Get the tracker
The Sinking Funds Tracker 2027 works in Google Sheets and has room for Christmas, car, vacation and bill funds. It is an instant download, with no formulas to write.
Keep going
- Planning the holidays too? How to plan a $600 Christmas budget (33 seconds)
- See every quick demo: Watch & Learn
This is an organizing tool and an educational example, not financial advice.