Split your take-home pay into needs, wants and savings with the 50/30/20 rule, or a 60/20/20, 70/20/10 or your own split. Then list what you spend each month to see where you're over or under. Works in any currency.
How to use the budget planner
- Choose your currency and enter your take-home pay, a month, a year, every two weeks or a week.
- Keep the 50/30/20 split or choose another, including your own percentages.
- Optionally enter what you spend in each category. Rename, add or remove categories, and move each one between needs, wants and savings.
- Check each group against its target and what's left to plan, then download your budget as a CSV.
The 50/30/20 rule at a glance
Shares of take-home pay, with the amounts on 4,000 a month.| Group | Share | On 4,000 | Examples |
|---|
| Needs | 50% | 2,000 | Rent or mortgage, groceries, utilities, transport, insurance, minimum debt payments |
|---|
| Wants | 30% | 1,200 | Eating out, shopping, hobbies, subscriptions, holidays |
|---|
| Savings and debt | 20% | 800 | Emergency fund, retirement, investments, extra debt repayments |
|---|
Tips for sticking to it
- Pay yourself first: set up an automatic transfer to savings on payday, so the 20% happens before you spend.
- Review your wants each month; they're the easiest part to trim when bills rise.
- Treat it as a guide, not a test. A budget you keep is better than a perfect one you drop.
Saving for something specific? The savings goal calculator works out the monthly amount, and the compound interest calculator shows how savings grow.
A planning aid, not financial advice. Your own costs, debts and goals may call for a different split.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 50/30/20 budget rule?
It's a simple way to divide your take-home pay: about 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and paying off debt. On 4,000 a month that's 2,000 for needs, 1,200 for wants and 800 for savings; on ₹50,000 it's ₹25,000, ₹15,000 and ₹10,000.
Is the 50/30/20 rule based on gross or net income?
Net: use your take-home pay after tax and other deductions, because that's the money you actually budget. If you're paid yearly, every two weeks or weekly, choose that and the planner converts it to a month (a salary of 60,000 a year after tax is 5,000 a month: 2,500, 1,500 and 1,000). Pension or retirement money taken out before you're paid is already saving.
What counts as needs and what counts as wants?
Needs are bills you must pay to live and work: rent or mortgage, groceries, utilities and phone, transport to work, insurance, childcare and the minimum payments on loans and cards. Wants are things you could cut back on: eating out, shopping, hobbies, streaming and holidays. If you're unsure, ask whether you'd still pay it after losing your job.
What if my needs take more than 50% of my pay?
That's common where rents are high. Try a 60/20/20 or 70/20/10 split (70% of 4,000 is 2,800 for needs, leaving 800 for wants and 400 to save), look for ways to cut fixed bills, and move back towards 50/30/20 as your income grows. Keeping some savings every month matters more than the exact split.
Where should the 20% for savings go?
Usually first to an emergency fund that covers a few months of essential bills, then to paying off high-interest debt such as credit cards, then to retirement and other goals. Paying more than the minimum on a debt counts as part of the 20%.
How do I budget with an irregular income?
Base the plan on a cautious month, for example your lowest normal month or an average of the last few, and put anything above it straight into savings. Freelancers and gig workers can also keep the tax they'll owe separate before splitting the rest.
