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Budget tool

50/30/20 Calculator

Enter your monthly take-home pay. See what the 50/30/20 rule gives you for needs, wants and savings, or set your own split. No sign-up, no email.

✓ Cross-checked against an independent simulation ✓ Always adds back to your pay ✓ 100% free, runs in your browser, stores nothing

Your budget split

Your pay
$
Your split optional, the default is 50 / 30 / 20
%
%
%

Amounts are worked out in whole cents. If a split leaves a cent over, it goes to savings, so the three always add up to your pay.

Needs
n/a
a month
+
Wants
n/a
a month
Your split
 
Savings and debta month, includes any leftover centn/a
Needs a yearmonthly amount × 12n/a
Wants a yearmonthly amount × 12n/a
Savings a yearmonthly amount × 12n/a
Check, the three addedalways equals your payn/a
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How the 50/30/20 rule works

Split your take-home pay into three parts. Half for needs, thirty percent for wants, twenty percent for savings and debt payments.

50%

Needs

Rent or mortgage, utilities, groceries, insurance, transport to work, minimum debt payments. The things that are hard to skip.

30%

Wants

Eating out, streaming, hobbies, trips, upgrades. The things you choose and could cut.

20%

Savings and debt

Emergency fund, retirement, extra debt payments, goals. The part that builds your future.

# in whole cents needs = pay × needs % wants = pay × wants % savings = pay − needs − wants # so the three always add up

When 50/30/20 does not fit

In a high-rent city, needs can pass 50% of take-home pay. Change the split above, for example 60 / 20 / 20, and keep the three percentages at a total of 100.

Want it on paper? A 50/30/20 budget worksheet and a zero based budget sheet are in the TidyPaycheck shop.

Questions people ask

What is the 50/30/20 rule?

It is a simple budget that splits your after-tax pay into 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and debt payments.

Should I use pay before or after tax?

After tax. The rule is about the money that reaches your account. If you have deductions such as health insurance taken from your paycheck, use the amount you actually receive.

Can I change the percentages?

Yes. Type your own three numbers in the split box. They must add up to exactly 100, otherwise the calculator tells you the total and shows no amounts.

Why do the amounts always add up to my pay?

The calculator works in whole cents. Needs and wants are rounded to the nearest cent and savings gets whatever is left, so a stray cent never goes missing.

Is my data saved or sent anywhere?

No. The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing is stored or sent, and the share image is drawn on your device from the result only.

Result copied to clipboard