🗂️ 50/30/20 Budget Calculator
The 50/30/20 rule is a simple starting budget: half of take-home pay for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and extra debt payments.
Your budget
How the 50/30/20 Budget Calculator works
Your monthly after-tax income is split into the three shares. You can change the percentages to fit your situation.
Needs = Income × 50%
Wants = Income × 30%
Savings & debt = Income × 20%
Step-by-step calculation
- 1Enter monthly take-home pay.
- 2Split 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings.
- 3Adjust the percentages if needed.
Worked example
$4,000 of monthly take-home pay: $2,000 needs, $1,200 wants and $800 savings and debt payoff.
50/30/20 Budget Calculator examples
| Monthly take-home pay ($) | Your budget |
|---|---|
| 2,000 | Needs $1,000 · Wants $600 · Save $400 |
| 3,000 | Needs $1,500 · Wants $900 · Save $600 |
| 4,000 | Needs $2,000 · Wants $1,200 · Save $800 |
| 5,000 | Needs $2,500 · Wants $1,500 · Save $1,000 |
| 6,000 | Needs $3,000 · Wants $1,800 · Save $1,200 |
Other inputs kept at the calculator's default values. Results calculated by this calculator.
Why use a 50/30/20 Budget Calculator?
Start a simple budget in under a minute.
Important factors that can affect your results
- High rent may push needs above 50%.
- Debt payoff priorities.
- Irregular income.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as needs?
Rent or mortgage, utilities, groceries, insurance, transport to work and minimum loan payments.
My needs are more than 50%. Now what?
That is common in high-cost cities. Try 60/20/20 and look for one or two big costs to reduce.
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Last reviewed November 2026 · How we build and check our tools · Report a problem