50/30/20 Budget Calculator — Needs, Wants & Savings
Split your monthly after-tax income into 50% needs, 30% wants and 20% savings — and adjust the percentages to fit your own plan, with live amounts.
🔒 Runs entirely in your browser. Your input and output are never sent to a server or stored — fully private.
Estimates only — not financial advice.
About this tool
This 50/30/20 budget calculator splits your monthly take-home pay into three simple buckets: 50 percent for needs, 30 percent for wants and 20 percent for savings or paying down debt. Enter your after-tax income and instantly see the amount for each category, then adjust the percentages if your situation calls for a different split. It is a quick way to sketch a budget you can actually follow. The figures are worked out in your browser as you type.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as needs, wants and savings?
Needs are essentials you cannot easily skip — rent, groceries, utilities, transport and minimum debt payments. Wants are lifestyle extras such as eating out, streaming, hobbies and holidays. The final 20 percent goes to savings, investments or paying off debt faster than the minimum. The line between a need and a want is personal, so move items between the buckets to match how you actually live.
Should I use gross or net income?
Use your net, after-tax income — the amount that actually lands in your account — because the percentages are meant to cover real spending. If tax and pension contributions are taken out before you are paid, do not count them again here. When your income varies from month to month, a careful average of your recent take-home pay gives a workable starting figure.
Is this financial advice, and is my income kept private?
The 50/30/20 split is a popular rule of thumb for general guidance and learning, not personalised financial advice. Your ideal balance depends on where you live, your debts and your goals, so treat the result as a starting point rather than a recommendation. Everything is calculated locally in your browser, which means the income figure you enter is never sent to or stored on a server.