50/30/20 Budget Calculator
Enter your monthly take-home pay to see how much goes to needs, wants and savings. If your essentials already cost more than the split allows, the savings-first check shows what you can still set aside.
After tax and contributions.
Split
Where your money goes
Needs · 50%
$2,000
Rent, utilities, food, transport, minimum debt payments
Wants · 30%
$1,200
Eating out, hobbies, subscriptions, trips
Savings · 20%
$800
Emergency fund, extra debt payments, investing
Of $4,000: $2,000 for needs, $1,200 for wants and $800 for savings.
Savings-first check
Real life rarely fits the percentages. Enter what your essentials actually cost and see what is left once savings are protected.
Optional. Rent, bills, food, transport and minimum debt payments.
A planning aid, not financial advice. Percentages are a starting point; adjust them to your situation.
How to put the split to work
- Use your take-home pay: the amount that actually lands in your account after tax and contributions.
- Pick the split that matches your life. If rent and bills already take more than half, start with 60/20/20 or 70/10/20 rather than giving up on saving.
- Enter what your essentials really cost this month. Move the savings amount on payday, then spend what is left without tracking every coffee.
Want the full method, with examples for busy families? Read our guide: 50/30/20 for Busy Parents
Want to keep your budget going after the calculator? See Volora, the private budget app
Guides on this topic
- How to Make a Monthly Budget: 6 Steps With a Worked Example
A monthly budget in six steps: essentials first, savings second, and what's left is your spending limit. With a worked €2,400 example and a free calculator.
- The Hidden Budget Leak: Why You're Short at Month-End
The big bills are right, so where does the money go? Usually five small guessed categories. Example: €220 a month leaking, €2,640 a year, and how to plug it.
- Expense Tracking: Your Real Spending From Bank Statements
Turn 3–6 months of bank statements into real numbers: essentials vs wants, a low, typical and high amount per category, and a monthly sum for yearly bills.