50/30/20 Budget Calculator

Split your take-home pay into needs, wants, and savings.

Monthly take-home income

Needs (rent, bills, groceries, minimum debt payments)

$0.00

Wants (dining out, subscriptions, fun money)

$0.00

Savings & extra debt payoff

$0.00

50/30/20 is a starting point, not a rule -- in a high cost-of-living area "needs" often runs higher than 50%. Adjust the splits to fit your actual bills.

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Why paycheck-based budgeting works

Budgeting by the month hides the real problem: which specific paycheck covers which bill.

Needs vs. wants: the real breakdown

Sorting every expense into 'need' or 'want' is the first real decision point in a budget.