50/30/20 budget calculator
I take home a month.
$2,000 for needs,
$1,200 for wants,
$800 for savings & debts.
$0 on needs,$2,000 left.
$0 on wants,$1,200 left.
$0 to savings & debts,$800 to go.
$4,000 has no job yet.
Add what you actually spend each month below to see if this budget is realistic.
Keep this budget in Trente.
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What is the 50/30/20 rule?
A simple way to split your take-home income: about 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and paying off debt. Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi popularized it in their 2005 book All Your Worth. Think of it as a starting point, not a test.
“It’s so simple it actually works.”
App Store review of TrenteVingt, the app Trente grew out of.
What goes where?
Needs
Wants
Savings & Debts
How to calculate your 50/30/20 budget
Multiply your monthly take-home pay by 0.5 for needs, 0.3 for wants and 0.2 for savings and debts. On $3,000 a month, that’s $1,500, $900 and $600.
| Take-home pay | Needs | Wants | Savings & Debts |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $1,250 | $750 | $500 |
| $3,000 | $1,500 | $900 | $600 |
| $4,000 | $2,000 | $1,200 | $800 |
| $6,000 | $3,000 | $1,800 | $1,200 |
When another split fits better
Your needs depend on your life, so the split moves with them. Wants give way first, savings last. These are only examples: you set your own split, here and in Trente.
Big goal 50/20/30
You’re paying off debt or saving up for something. Wants give way so more goes to savings and debts.
High rent 60/20/20
Housing takes more than you’d like. Wants give way and savings stay at 20%.
Tight budget 70/20/10
Essentials take most of your pay. Savings drop to 10% for now, and you raise them when you can.
Low rent 40/30/30
You live cheaply, so what you don’t spend on needs goes to savings.
Making it work in the US
Paid biweekly?
Multiply your paycheck by 26 and divide by 12. That gives you your real monthly take-home pay: $1,846 every two weeks is about $4,000 a month, not $3,692. Most years, two months bring a third paycheck. It’s already in that number, so it isn’t extra. Paid weekly? Multiply by 52 and divide by 12. Paid twice a month? Just double it.
How much rent fits?
Rent is one of your needs, so it has to share the 50% with groceries, utilities and insurance. The 30% rent rule is usually based on pre-tax pay. On a $64,000 salary that’s about $1,600 a month, or 40% of a $4,000 take-home, which leaves $400 for every other need. Rents vary a lot by state too: in 2024, the median with utilities ran from $883 in West Virginia to $2,104 in California.
What if it doesn’t fit?
Then change it. 50/30/20 is only where you start, not a rule to follow. If rent takes more than half your pay, or you’re paying off a loan, move the split until it fits your life, and change it again next month if you need to.
Is the 50/30/20 rule realistic?
It’s a good starting point, but not for everyone. In expensive cities, rent alone can take close to half of your pay. Add your real bills above to see how close you are, then adjust the split.
Is 50/30/20 before or after taxes?
After taxes. Use your take-home pay, also called net pay, not your pre-tax salary: the money that reaches your account each month, once taxes and deductions are taken care of.
Does my 401(k) count as savings?
It can. The simple way is to split only what reaches your account and treat your 401(k) as a bonus. If you’d rather count it, add it to both your take-home pay and your Savings & Debts. An HSA taken from your paycheck works the same way. Your employer’s match isn’t part of your pay, so leave it out.
What if my income changes every month?
Use your best estimate. Log extra income as it comes in, and adjust next month’s budget.
Do debt payments count as needs or savings?
They go in Savings & Debts, so student loans, credit cards and car loans stay in one place. Some versions of the rule count minimum payments as needs instead. If yours don’t fit in the 20%, move the split until they do. If you pay your credit card in full each month, count what you bought instead of the payment.
Does my mortgage count as a need?
Yes. It’s your housing, so it counts like rent, along with property tax, homeowners insurance and any HOA dues. Extra payments on the loan go to Savings & Debts.
Should I save or pay off debt first?
Usually both, in order: keep a small emergency fund first, then put extra money toward your most expensive debt. Once that’s gone, build up three to six months of expenses.
Is my income saved anywhere?
It stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere.
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