50/30/20 Budget Calculator

The 50/30/20 rule is the simplest budget that actually works: 50% of after-tax income to needs, 30% to wants, 20% to savings and debt repayment beyond minimums. Enter your monthly take-home pay and see the three amounts instantly - then adjust the ratios to match a high-cost city or an aggressive savings goal.

Your numbers

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%
%
%
Toward savings & debt — per month
Needs budget—
Wants budget—
—
NeedsWantsSavings

Results update as you type and are estimates for education only — they don't account for taxes, fees or your personal situation, and nothing here is financial advice. Your inputs stay on this device.

How it works

  1. Enter your monthly after-tax (take-home) income. Include salary, side income and any regular benefits.
  2. Review the default split: needs 50%, wants 30%, savings & extra debt payments 20%.
  3. Adjust the sliders if your reality differs - expensive-city renters often run needs at 55-60%; aggressive savers push savings to 30-40%.
  4. Use the three amounts as spending ceilings, and automate the savings portion on payday so it never reaches your spending account.

The formula

Needs = income x 50%, wants = income x 30%, savings & debt = income x 20% (or your custom percentages, which must total 100%).

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a need versus a want?
Needs are the bills that keep life running if you lost income tomorrow: housing, utilities, groceries, insurance, transport to work, minimum debt payments. Wants are everything optional - dining out, streaming, travel, upgrades. The honest test: could you cancel it without real hardship? Then it is a want.
My needs are way over 50%. Is the budget broken?
No - the rule is a compass, not a law. In high-cost cities housing alone can breach 40%; run needs at 60% and rebalance wants down before touching savings. Persistent needs above 70% is the real warning sign that income or fixed costs need structural change.
Does the 20% include retirement contributions and debt payments?
Yes - the savings bucket covers retirement contributions, emergency-fund building, investing, and debt payments beyond the minimums (minimums are needs). If an employer pension/401(k) match is available, capturing it fully is the first claim on this bucket.
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