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50/30/20 Budget Calculator
Three numbers, one minute, no spreadsheet.
The 50/30/20 rule is the least fiddly budget that still works: 50% of your take-home pay for needs, 30% for wants, 20% for saving and extra debt payments. It's popular because you can hold it in your head — no thirty-category spreadsheet that you abandon in week three.
Enter what actually lands in your account each month and you'll get your three numbers immediately. Add your rent or mortgage payment and you'll also see what share of your income housing is eating, which is usually the number that decides whether the rest of the budget is even possible.
Good to know
Should I use gross or net income for 50/30/20?
Net — your take-home pay after taxes and payroll deductions. Using gross pay is the most common mistake and makes every category look affordable when it isn't.
What if my needs are far more than 50%?
That's information, not failure. Housing is usually the culprit and it's the slowest thing to change, so most people work on it over months while treating the 50% as a direction rather than a pass/fail test.
Do debt payments count as needs or savings?
Minimum payments are a need, because missing them has real consequences. Anything you pay above the minimum belongs in the 20%, since it builds your net worth instead of funding your month.
Is 50/30/20 still useful on a low income?
The proportions get harder the tighter things are, because needs squeeze out everything else. The framework still shows where the pressure sits, but on a low income the practical lever is usually income and fixed costs rather than trimming small wants.