The 50/30/20 budget calculator. Your split in seconds.
Enter your monthly take-home pay and see how the 50/30/20 rule splits it: 50 percent to needs, 30 percent to wants, 20 percent to savings and debt. No signup, and nothing leaves your device.
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Your monthly take-home pay
After tax. The amount that actually lands in your account.
Enter your take-home pay above to see your 50/30/20 split.
What is the 50/30/20 rule?
The 50/30/20 rule is a simple way to divide your take-home pay. Half goes to needs, the essentials you cannot skip. Thirty percent goes to wants, the things that make life enjoyable. The last twenty percent goes to savings and paying down debt. It is easy to remember, which is exactly why it works.
Needs, wants, and savings
Needs are rent or mortgage, groceries, utilities, transport, insurance and minimum debt payments. Wants are dining out, subscriptions, hobbies, travel and shopping. Savings covers your emergency fund, investments and any extra you put toward debt. If your needs run above 50 percent, you are not doing it wrong. It is a target to aim at, not a rule to feel bad about.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 50/30/20 rule?
It is a simple budget framework. 50 percent of your take-home pay goes to needs, 30 percent to wants, and 20 percent to savings and paying down debt. It was popularized by Senator Elizabeth Warren.
What counts as a need versus a want?
Needs are the essentials you cannot easily skip: rent or mortgage, groceries, utilities, transport, insurance and minimum debt payments. Wants are the nice to haves: dining out, subscriptions, hobbies, travel and shopping.
Should I use take-home pay or gross income?
Use take-home pay, the amount that lands in your account after taxes and deductions. The 50/30/20 split is meant to work with the money you actually have to spend.
Is the 50/30/20 rule realistic?
It is a starting point, not a law. In high cost areas needs often run above 50 percent. Treat it as a target and adjust to your life. The point is to give every dollar a job.
Is this calculator free?
Yes. It is completely free, runs entirely in your browser, and never asks for your email or a signup. Nothing you type leaves your device.
How do I actually stick to the split?
Seeing the split is the easy part. Pockita tracks your real spending against it, so you know where you stand each month without doing the math yourself.