50/30/20 budget calculator
Put in your own numbers and see the arithmetic laid out line by line, in dollars.
- Needs (50%): rent, bills, food, minimum debt payments$2,000.00
- Wants (30%): eating out, subscriptions, travel$1,200.00
- Savings and extra debt payments (20%)$800.00
The 50/30/20 split is a rule of thumb, not a standard. If needs alone take more than half your pay, the useful number is how far over you are.
US prices read 29 October 2026. Default: an illustrative $4,000 of monthly take-home pay.
How it works
The calculator uses only figures each provider publishes. Where a fee is not published, the row says so and the figure leaves it out, which is why such a row ranks after every fully priced one. Introductory discounts are ignored because they end; tax is excluded because it depends on you.
This is a planning tool: it works on the numbers you enter and does not rank providers. The comparisons explain how their lists are ordered, and the full method is on how we rank.
Best budgeting apps in the US (2026): prices and methods compared
Four budgeting apps compared on what they cost a year, whether there is a free version, and the budgeting method each is built around.
Guide · US & UKZero-based, 50/30/20 and envelope budgeting: how they differ
Three common budgeting methods explained with worked examples, including how each copes with irregular freelance income and yearly bills.