Budget Calculator
Apply the 50/30/20 rule to your income and spot budget leaks.
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How this calculator works
The 50/30/20 rule is the simplest budget that actually works: 50% of take-home pay for needs (housing, food, transport, minimum debt payments), 30% for wants (dining out, hobbies, shopping), and 20% for savings and extra debt payoff. No spreadsheets with 40 categories, no guilt over every coffee, just three buckets. This budget calculator applies the rule to your income to set your three targets, then compares them against what you actually spend so you can see exactly which bucket is leaking.
The differences are the whole point. If needs are over 50%, the fix is usually structural, cheaper housing, a paid-off car, refinanced debt, because trimming groceries rarely closes a big gap. If wants are over 30%, that is the easiest place to cut without pain: subscriptions, impulse shopping and dining out. And if savings are under 20%, treat it as a bill: automate a transfer on payday so the money leaves before you can spend it. The rule is a starting point, not law; high-cost cities may push needs above 50%, in which case hold the 20% savings line sacred and squeeze wants instead.