Free tool
Budget calculator
Split your take-home pay with the 50/30/20 rule, or give every dollar a job with a zero-based budget. It runs in your browser: nothing you type is sent anywhere.
After tax: what lands in your account each month.
Needs 50%
2,000
Wants 30%
1,200
Savings 20%
800
Needs
Wants
Savings
Every dollar has a job.
BudgetVault is free, with no account and no bank login. It sets these up as monthly budgets on this device, after you confirm.
How the 50/30/20 rule works
Take your monthly pay after tax and split it three ways: about half for needs (housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, insurance, minimum debt payments), about 30% for wants (eating out, shopping, entertainment, subscriptions) and at least 20% for savings and paying down debt faster. It is a rule of thumb, not a law: if rent alone takes 40% of your pay, needs will run over 50%, and the plan is to take it from wants first. More in our guide to the 50/30/20 rule.
How a zero-based budget works
A zero-based budget gives every dollar a job before the month starts: income minus everything you plan to spend and save equals zero. Nothing is left floating, so overspending in one category has to come out of another. It takes a few minutes more than 50/30/20 and suits irregular income and tight months. See the zero-based budgeting guide.
Questions
Is the 50/30/20 rule based on gross or net income?
Net: your take-home pay after taxes and anything taken out of your paycheck. Retirement contributions withheld at work already count toward the 20% for savings.
What if my needs are more than 50%?
Common with high rent. Keep savings as close to 20% as you can and take the difference from wants, then look at the biggest fixed costs (housing, car, insurance) over time.
Does this calculator save or send my numbers?
No. The math runs in your browser. If you choose to track the budget in BudgetVault, the amounts are handed to the app on this device and stored only there.
How do I stick to the budget once it is set?
Track what you spend against each category during the month. BudgetVault does that for free, with no account and no bank login, or use the spreadsheet template if you prefer.