50/30/20 Budget Calculator
Split take-home pay into needs, wants and savings.
Enter your values
ⓘ Live results
Results
- Savings target
- $840.00
- Needs budget (50%)
- $2,100.00 — you spend $2,300.00
- Wants budget (30%)
- $1,260.00 — you spend $1,100.00
- Actually saved
- $800.00 (19.05%)
Quick answer
The 50/30/20 rule allocates half of net income to needs, 30% to wants and 20% to saving and debt payoff.
needs 50% / wants 30% / savings 20% of net income
How to use the 50/30/20 Budget Calculator
- 1Enter monthly income after tax.
- 2Total your fixed needs and discretionary wants.
- 3Adjust the wants line first when savings fall short.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Monthly take-home4200 $
- Current needs spend2300 $
- Current wants spend1100 $
Results
- Savings target$840.00
- Needs budget (50%)$2,100.00 — you spend $2,300.00
- Wants budget (30%)$1,260.00 — you spend $1,100.00
- Actually saved$800.00 (19.05%)
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a need?
Housing, utilities, groceries, transport, insurance and minimum debt payments.
Does it work in high-cost cities?
Needs often exceed 50%; try 60/20/20 and revisit as income grows.
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by James Whitfield · How we build and test calculators
- Report an error
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.