Skip to main content
All calculators

Budget Calculator

Take control of your finances. Create a personalized budget and see exactly where your money goes.

Income & expenses

Enter your monthly income and expenses

Use your take-home (after-tax) pay, not your gross salary.

Monthly expenses (include all regular bills)

Budget summary

Your monthly financial overview

Remaining budget

$2,650

Total income

$5,000

Total expenses

$2,350

Savings rate

53.0%

Target: 20% or more

Spending breakdown

Where your money goes

Pie chart showing Housing: $1,500, Food: $400, Transportation: $300, Utilities: $150. Total expenses: $2,350.

Expense comparison

Compare your spending categories

Horizontal bar chart comparing spending by category. Housing: $1,500, Food: $400, Transportation: $300, Utilities: $150.

Popular Budgeting Rules

50/30/20 Rule

The most popular framework: 50% for needs (housing, food, utilities), 30% for wants (entertainment, dining out), and 20% for savings and debt repayment. Great for beginners who want a simple, flexible structure.

70/20/10 Rule

Spend 70% on living expenses (needs and wants combined), put 20% toward savings and investments, and give 10% to debt repayment or charitable giving. Useful if you're already saving aggressively and want a cleaner two-bucket split.

Zero-Based Budgeting

Every dollar gets assigned a job, so income minus expenses equals zero. You're not spending everything; you're intentionally directing every dollar to a category, including savings. Championed by Dave Ramsey and EveryDollar. Best for detail-oriented people, or anyone who has struggled with overspending.

Pay-Yourself-First

Before paying any bill, automatically transfer your savings target to a separate account. Spend the rest however you like. Popularized by David Bach's "Automatic Millionaire," this method works because it removes willpower from the equation entirely.

80/20 Rule (Pareto Budget)

Save 20% of every paycheck first, then spend the remaining 80% however you choose without tracking categories. Simpler than 50/30/20 and ideal for people who find detailed budgets overwhelming but still want to build wealth consistently.

Remaining budget

$2,650

Savings rate

53.0%