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 CENSE PURCHASE PLANNING TEMPLATE
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Blue = your inputs | Black = calculated outputs | Built for Cense readers
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 STEP 1 — WHAT ARE YOU BUYING?
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Purchase Namee.g. Used Car
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One-Time Purchase Price ($)$5,000← sticker price / one-time cost
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Estimated Monthly Recurring Costs ($)$250← insurance, gas, subscriptions, maintenance
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Already Saved Toward This ($)$0← enter 0 if starting from scratch
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 STEP 2 — YOUR FINANCES
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Monthly Take-Home Income ($)$2,000← after taxes
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% of Income to Save for This Goal10.0%← try 5–15%
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 STEP 3 — YOUR SAVINGS PLAN (auto-calculated)
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Monthly Savings Toward Goal ($)$200
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Months Until You Can Buy (one-time cost)25 months
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First-Year True Cost (purchase + 12mo recurring)$8,000← the real number to plan for
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Recurring Cost as % of Monthly Income12.5%← aim to keep this under 15%
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 STEP 4 — PURCHASE READINESS CHECKLIST
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Change each cell in column C to YES or NO. You should have all YES before buying.
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Do you have at least 1 month of expenses in an emergency fund?NO✗ Not yet
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Is your high-interest debt (>10% APR) fully paid off?NO✗ Not yet
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Have you researched the full recurring cost (not just the purchase price)?NO✗ Not yet
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Do you know exactly where this cash is coming from (sinking fund or savings)?NO✗ Not yet
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Have you comparison-shopped at least 3 options?NO✗ Not yet
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READINESS SCORE0 / 5 — Keep working through the list.
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 STEP 5 — SINKING FUND TRACKER (12-month)
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Name your fund below. On payday, transfer your monthly savings to a dedicated savings bucket.
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Sinking Fund Namee.g. Car Fund
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Start Monthe.g. Jan 2026
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MonthMonthly Deposit ($)Running Balance ($)
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Month 1$200$200
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Month 2$200$400
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Month 3$200$600
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Month 4$200$800
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Month 5$200$1,000
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Month 6$200$1,200
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Month 7$200$1,400
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Month 8$200$1,600
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Month 9$200$1,800
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Month 10$200$2,000
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Month 11$200$2,200
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Month 12$200$2,400
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Tip: If Month 12 balance < Step 1 purchase price, either extend your timeline or increase your savings rate in Step 2.
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