Give the number a clear meaning

Write the name of the project and decide what you will count. For example, “Weekend away” could track only the amount you have put aside for that trip. Avoid mixing several unrelated projects into one number if you want to understand the progress at a glance.

The target should come from your own planning. This guide explains a display method; it does not recommend how much to save, where to keep money or which financial products to use.

A simple worked example

Suppose your chosen target is 500 and the amount recorded is 125, in the same currency. Progress is 125 divided by 500, multiplied by 100: 25%. If you later add 50, the recorded amount becomes 175 and the progress is 35%.

These are invented numbers to explain the calculation. They are not suggested savings amounts or a forecast. A ring filling up reflects recorded progress, not interest, returns or automatic growth.

Set it up in GoalGlance

Create a Progress vision, name the project, set the target and enter the current amount. Then add the Progress widget using the iPhone setup steps. One vision and the Progress widget are included in the free option.

GoalGlance displays progress you record. Do not assume it reads your bank balance or detects transfers. Check the amount after entering it and avoid recording the same change twice.

Choose a consistent update rule

Decide when you will update the record: after a relevant change or during a review you already do. Keep the underlying records somewhere appropriate; the widget is a summary.

  • Use the same currency and unit for current amount and target.
  • Be clear whether you are recording a total or adding an increment.
  • If your plan changes, update the goal to match it.
  • If the displayed figure looks wrong, compare it with your own records before making another entry.

Display the right amount of detail

Your phone may be visible to other people. A project name can be discreet, but a number can still reveal information. Check the actual widget preview and choose what you are comfortable displaying.

If the image of the project matters more than the amount, an apartment vision board is another way to represent it. When a date is confirmed, a countdown answers a different question: how long until that day?

Keep the tracker separate from your decisions

A visible percentage does not tell you whether a purchase is affordable or whether a deadline is realistic. Those decisions need your full situation, not just the ring on a screen.

Use the widget for a limited job: showing the progress you have entered towards one named project. If the target changes, a different percentage can simply reflect an updated plan. It is not a judgement about your effort or your future.