About the Budget Calculator
Budget Calculator turns your monthly take-home pay into a simple spending plan. Enter what you bring home after tax and pick a rule: the classic 50/30/20 split of needs, wants and savings, a version for high living costs, a tight-budget version, a saver's version, or your own percentages. The tool shows how much to put in each bucket, how much you will save in a year, how large an emergency fund of three to six months of needs would be and how long it would take to build. You can also type what you really spend in each bucket and the tool compares it with the plan, showing where you are over or under. Everything is worked out in your browser and nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Updated September 2026
How to use the Budget Calculator
- 1Enter your monthly take-home pay, after tax and deductions.
- 2Choose a budget rule, or pick My own percentages and set needs, wants and savings so they add up to 100.
- 3Read how much to spend in each bucket and how much you would save in a year.
- 4Optional: enter what you actually spend in each bucket to compare it with the plan.
- 5Adjust your spending where the table shows you are over the plan.
Why a simple rule helps
Detailed budgets with dozens of categories often fail because they take too long to keep up. A simple rule gives you a target with three numbers you can remember: how much to spend on things you must pay, how much on things you enjoy and how much to put away. If you stay near those numbers, you can stop worrying about every small purchase.
The rule works best as a starting point. Compare it with your real spending for a month or two, see where the biggest gap is and make one or two changes rather than trying to fix everything at once.
Picking the right split
- 50/30/20: a balanced start for most people with moderate living costs.
- 60/20/20: when rent and transport take a big share of your pay.
- 70/20/10: a tight budget that still saves a little each month.
- 50/20/30: when you want to save fast for a goal or to pay off debt sooner.
- Custom: use it once you know your own numbers.
Using the comparison table
When you enter what you really spend, the table shows each bucket's plan, your actual amount and the difference. Green means you are on the right side, under the plan for needs and wants or above it for savings, and red means the reverse. Look at percentages as well as amounts, since a big needs percentage tells you where your money goes.
If your spending is above your take-home pay, the tool tells you the month is over budget. Cut wants first, then look at needs that can be reduced, such as subscriptions, energy, phone contracts and insurance quotes.
Related tools
Savings Goal Calculator finds the monthly amount needed for a target, Compound Interest Calculator shows how savings grow, Salary Calculator converts pay between yearly, monthly and hourly, Debt Payoff Calculator plans repayments and Inflation Calculator shows what rising prices do to your budget over time.
Features
- 50/30/20, 60/20/20, 70/20/10 and 50/20/30 presets
- Your own percentages with a check that they add up to 100
- Amounts for needs, wants and savings
- Yearly savings and emergency fund target
- Time to build a three-month emergency fund
- Plan against reality table with colours
- Currency symbol picker with Indian grouping
- Runs in your browser, nothing saved
Frequently asked questions
What is the 50/30/20 rule?
It is a simple budget that puts 50 percent of your take-home pay towards needs, 30 percent towards wants and 20 percent towards savings and debt repayment. It was popularised by US Senator Elizabeth Warren and her daughter in a personal finance book and is often used as a starting point.
What counts as a need and what counts as a want?
Needs are costs you must pay to live and work: rent or mortgage, groceries, utilities, transport to work, basic insurance and minimum debt payments. Wants are things you choose, such as eating out, streaming, hobbies, holidays and upgrades. Some items fall between the two, and you decide where to put them.
Should I use my salary before or after tax?
Use your take-home pay, the amount that reaches your bank account after tax and pension deductions. The percentages are meant to describe money you can really spend or save.
What if my needs cost more than 50 percent?
That is common where rents are high. Try the 60/20/20 or 70/20/10 rules, or enter your own percentages. It is better to keep some saving, even 5 or 10 percent, than to abandon the plan. Over time, look at ways to cut housing or transport costs or raise your income.
How big should my emergency fund be?
A common target is three to six months of essential spending. The tool shows this range using your planned needs and how many months it would take to reach three months if you save the planned amount each month.
Should I pay off debt or save first?
Most advice is to build a small starter emergency fund, then pay off high-interest debt such as credit cards, and then grow savings and investments. The savings bucket in this plan can include extra debt payments above the minimum.
Is my information stored?
No. Everything you type stays in your browser and is lost when you close the page. Nothing is sent to a server, so you can use your real figures.