Run 3 return-rate scenarios to see a realistic range of outcomes — then adjust your monthly amount until it fits your budget.
Open the Money Growth Calculator| Return rate | Final balance | Total contributed |
|---|---|---|
| 5% (conservative) | ~$41,000 | $24,000 |
| 7% (mid) | ~$52,000 | $24,000 |
| 10% (optimistic) | ~$76,000 | $24,000 |
Investing $100 a month for 20 years means contributing $24,000 of your own money — and at a 7% return, compounding adds around $28,000 on top, growing your balance to roughly $52,000. That's more than double your contributions, with compounding doing as much work as you did over those two decades. For many Australians $100 a month is very achievable, and over 20 years it quietly builds a $50,000+ nest egg from what feels like a small regular commitment.
If $100/month feels hard right now, test a smaller starting amount and increase it each year. Even small step-ups can move the result a lot over long horizons.
It can be. The biggest drivers are consistency and time. Use the calculator to compare multiple return scenarios.
Try 5% (conservative), 7% (mid), and 10% (optimistic) to see a range.
No. Treat results as estimates. You can lower your assumed return rate to be conservative.
If you can’t do both, extra time often helps a lot. Then increase contributions over time.
See /how-compound-interest-works.html.
Keep exploring — these pages connect directly to calculators so you can run your own numbers.