Monthly budget calculator
Enter your take-home income and spending to see what’s left and how it compares with the 50/30/20 guideline.
How it works
Needs are housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and insurance. Wants are dining, fun, and subscriptions. Debt payments plus whatever is left over count toward the 20% savings and debt share.
The 50/30/20 split is a guideline, not a rule. High-cost areas often need a larger share for needs.
Example
With the sample inputs shown above (Monthly take-home income ($) = 4500; Housing: rent or mortgage ($) = 1450; Utilities and phone ($) = 280; Groceries ($) = 520; Transportation ($) = 400; Insurance and health ($) = 250; Dining, fun, and subscriptions ($) = 700; Debt payments ($) = 300), the calculator returns: Left each month: $600 (After all spending); Left over 12 months: $7,200 (At this pace).
Things to know
Use take-home pay and your last three months of statements to fill in each category. If spending exceeds income, trim wants first, then look at the largest needs such as housing and transportation. The 12-month figure shows how small monthly changes add up.