Free tool
50/30/20 budget calculator
Updated November 7, 2026. Runs entirely in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Enter your monthly take-home pay to split it with the 50/30/20 rule: needs, wants, and savings. Add what you spend on needs now to see whether you are over the 50% line. This is a rule of thumb, not financial advice.
How to use the number
- Don't know your take-home pay? Start with the free take-home pay calculator.
- Put the 20% to work with the emergency fund calculator and debt payoff calculator.
- Track progress over time with the savings rate calculator.
Getting needs under 50%
Fixed bills are the easiest needs to shrink, because one phone call saves every month. Most people never ask. The Bills Kit ($19) gives word-for-word lines for asking providers to lower a bill, plus Call Mode. One-time purchase, 14-day refund.
What is the 50/30/20 rule?
A simple budgeting guideline: about 50% of after-tax income to needs (housing, utilities, groceries, minimum debt payments), 30% to wants, and 20% to savings and extra debt payoff.
Should I use gross or take-home pay?
Use take-home (after-tax) pay. If you only know your salary, estimate it first with the take-home pay calculator.
What if my needs are over 50%?
That is common in high-cost areas. Lowering fixed bills (phone, internet, insurance) is often the fastest way back under 50%, since it saves every month without daily willpower.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is a rule of thumb applied to the numbers you enter.
Guidance only, not legal, financial, or tax advice. The calculator does simple arithmetic on the numbers you enter.