Sabbatical Savings Drawdown
Calculator
Results
- Ending balance
- $7,489.19
- Months covered
- 12 mo
- Total drawn down
- $23,104.61
- Forgone salary
- $48,000.00
Projected income path
- Savings balance
- Cumulative drawn
Year-by-year income projection
| 1 | 2,200.00 | 300.00 | 28,175.00 | 1,900.00 |
| 2 | 2,204.58 | 300.00 | 26,340.85 | 3,804.58 |
| 3 | 2,209.18 | 300.00 | 24,497.53 | 5,713.76 |
| 4 | 2,213.78 | 300.00 | 22,645.00 | 7,627.54 |
| 5 | 2,218.39 | 300.00 | 20,783.22 | 9,545.93 |
| 6 | 2,223.01 | 300.00 | 18,912.16 | 11,468.94 |
| 7 | 2,227.64 | 300.00 | 17,031.80 | 13,396.58 |
| 8 | 2,232.28 | 300.00 | 15,142.09 | 15,328.87 |
| 9 | 2,236.94 | 300.00 | 13,243.01 | 17,265.80 |
| 10 | 2,241.60 | 300.00 | 11,334.53 | 19,207.40 |
| 11 | 2,246.27 | 300.00 | 9,416.60 | 21,153.67 |
| 12 | 2,250.95 | 300.00 | 7,489.19 | 23,104.61 |
Comparison
| Scenario | Ending balance | Months covered |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline scenario | 30,912.48 | 12.00 |
| Selected scenario | 7,489.19 | 12.00 |
Formula
B(m) = B(m−1) × (1+r/12) − (spend × (1+i/12)^(m−1) − income)= 7489.19
Note
This is not financial, tax or career advice. It is a simplified model: it applies the displayed formula to the figures you entered, uses a single constant rate for every year unless you supplied more, and ignores progressive tax bands, benefits, student-loan write-off rules, pension allowances and any country's specific employment law. Real careers are not smooth: pay freezes, redundancy, illness, caring responsibilities and market shifts all break a constant-growth assumption. Inflation-adjusted figures can be negative — a rise below inflation is a real pay cut. Consult a qualified adviser before acting on any figure here.
More in Career and income
See all →Frequently asked questions
What does this calculator tell me that a simple division doesn't?+
Dividing savings by monthly spending gives a rough runway, but it ignores that your savings can keep earning interest while you draw them down, and that expenses might not be perfectly flat. This calculator models the drawdown month by month, factoring in any return on the remaining balance, so the actual runway is usually a bit longer than the naive division suggests.
Should I include my emergency fund in the savings I plan to draw down?+
No, keep your emergency fund separate and untouched. The sabbatical drawdown should be sized from dedicated sabbatical savings only, so that an unexpected expense during or after your time off doesn't force you back to work early or into debt.
How does the assumed rate of return affect my sabbatical length?+
Even a modest return (parking savings in a high-yield account or short-term bonds) extends your runway because your balance keeps earning while you spend it down. The effect is small over a matter of months, but on a year-long sabbatical a 4-5% return can add real weeks to how long the money lasts.
What should I put as my monthly spending if my expenses vary a lot?+
Use your average of the last 3-6 months of actual spending, not a hoped-for austerity budget, since sabbatical spending often runs higher than a normal working month due to travel or one-off activities. Add a buffer of 10-15% for the unplanned, then use the calculator's result as a ceiling on time off, not a promise.
What happens if I plan to earn some income during the sabbatical?+
If you expect part-time or freelance income during the break, subtract that from your monthly spending figure before running the calculator, rather than adding it as a lump sum, since it offsets the drawdown every month it comes in. That will show a more accurate, usually longer, runway than assuming zero income throughout.