Planning
Budget (50/30/20)
Split take-home pay into needs, wants, and savings. Defaults follow the classic 50/30/20 guideline — edit percents to fit you.
After-tax pay you actually budget with.
$
Share of take-home for must-pays — housing, utilities, groceries, insurance, minimum debt payments. Classic guideline is 50%.
Share for lifestyle spending — dining out, entertainment, hobbies. Classic guideline is 30%.
Share for emergency fund, investing, and extra debt payments. Classic guideline is 20%. Percents need not sum to 100% — the calculator scales dollar amounts from each % of income.
Percents sum to 100%
Monthly savings target
$1,000
From your take-home pay split
Needs
$2,500
Wants
$1,500
- Classic 50/30/20 is a guideline: needs (housing, food, transport, minimum debt), wants (lifestyle), savings (emergency fund, investing, extra debt). Adjust for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Read about the 50/30/20 budget
What counts as needs vs wants?
Needs are essentials (housing, utilities, groceries, minimum debt). Wants are lifestyle spending. Savings includes emergency fund, investing, and extra debt payments.
Must percents total 100%?
Ideally yes for a complete split. The tool still shows each category as a percent of income if they do not sum to 100%.
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