Budget Calculator
See where every dollar of your monthly income goes and how much is left to save.
Your estimate
Please check the highlighted fields — one or more values are missing or out of range.
$980
left over each month
- Total expenses—
- Remaining income—
- Savings rate—
- Remaining per year—
Spending breakdown (share of income)
Estimates only. Figures are rounded and assume the inputs stay the same for the whole period.
Estimates only: Results are based on the numbers you enter and simplified assumptions. They are not a loan offer, rate quote or financial advice. Actual terms depend on the lender and your situation.
How to use this budget calculator
Enter your monthly take-home pay — what reaches your checking account after taxes and payroll deductions — and then your typical spending in each category. The calculator totals your expenses, shows how much income is left over, and converts that leftover into a savings rate, the share of your income you are keeping.
The fastest way to get accurate numbers is to pull the last two or three months of bank and credit card statements and average each category. Estimates from memory are almost always too low, especially for food, subscriptions and "miscellaneous" spending.
How the numbers are calculated
- Total expenses = the sum of every category you enter.
- Remaining income = take-home pay − total expenses.
- Savings rate = remaining income ÷ take-home pay × 100.
- Category share = category amount ÷ take-home pay × 100.
Comparing your results with the 50/30/20 rule
The 50/30/20 rule is a simple starting framework: roughly 50% of take-home pay for needs (housing, utilities, groceries, insurance, minimum debt payments), 30% for wants and 20% for savings and extra debt payoff. It is not a law of nature — in high-cost cities housing alone can take 40% or more — but it is a useful way to see which part of your budget is under pressure.
| Category | Share | On $5,000/month |
|---|---|---|
| Needs | 50% | $2,500 |
| Wants | 30% | $1,500 |
| Savings & extra debt payments | 20% | $1,000 |
If your leftover amount is small or negative, our step-by-step guide on how to build a monthly budget walks through choosing a budgeting method and trimming the categories that matter most. Once you have a surplus, direct it first toward an emergency cushion — the emergency fund calculator will tell you how big it should be.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good savings percentage for a monthly budget?
Should I use gross income or take-home pay in a budget?
What if my expenses are higher than my income?
How do I budget with an irregular income?
Learn more
- Checking vs. Savings Account: Differences and How to Use Both — Checking vs. savings accounts compared: how each works, interest, fees, access and insurance, plus a simple system for using both to manage money.
- How Much Emergency Savings Should You Have? A Complete Emergency Fund Guide — How much emergency savings you need, how to calculate your target, where to keep it and a step-by-step plan to build an emergency fund — even on a tight budget.
- Financial Planning for Beginners: How to Make a Financial Plan — Financial planning for beginners: set goals, track net worth, budget, build an emergency fund, pay off debt, save for retirement and get insured.
- How to Build a Monthly Budget That Actually Works — Learn how to create a monthly budget in seven practical steps, choose a budgeting method that fits your life, and keep your budget working month after month.