50/30/20 rule · expenses · savings goals
Free 50/30/20 budget calculator — split your monthly take-home pay into needs, wants, and savings, track expenses, and see when you'll hit your savings goal. Runs in your browser, private and ad-free.
The 50/30/20 rule splits your monthly take-home (after-tax) income into three buckets: 50% for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings and extra debt payoff. It was popularized by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren in the book All Your Worth, and works as a simple starting framework you can adjust to your own situation.
| Bucket | Share | On $4,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Needs — rent, food, bills, transport, insurance | 50% | $2,000 |
| Wants — dining, entertainment, subscriptions | 30% | $1,200 |
| Savings — emergency fund, investing, debt payoff | 20% | $800 |
In high cost-of-living areas the 50% needs bucket is often too small, so many people adjust to a 60/20/20 or 70/20/10 split. Use the calculator above to see your own numbers instantly.
The 50/30/20 rule splits your after-tax (take-home) income into three parts: 50% for needs (rent, groceries, utilities, insurance, minimum debt payments), 30% for wants (dining out, entertainment, subscriptions), and 20% for savings and extra debt payoff. It was popularized by Senator Elizabeth Warren in the book All Your Worth.
Take your monthly take-home pay and multiply it: needs = income × 0.50, wants = income × 0.30, savings = income × 0.20. For example, on $4,000 monthly take-home pay you would budget $2,000 to needs, $1,200 to wants, and $800 to savings. This free Budget Planner does the math instantly as you type.
Time to a savings goal depends on your target amount, current savings, monthly contribution, and interest rate. This planner estimates it with monthly compounding: each month the balance grows by APY ÷ 12 and then your monthly deposit is added, repeating until the balance reaches the target.
Yes. The web Budget Planner is completely free with no sign-up and no bank connection. Your budget entries stay on your device in the browser — nothing you type is uploaded to a server. It is not financial advice, just a planning tool.