What is the 50/30/20 rule?

It's a budgeting guideline: 50% of after-tax income for necessities, 30% for discretionary wants, 20% for savings and debt repayment.

Can I change the percentages?

Yes — modify the Needs, Wants, and Savings % fields. The tool validates that they sum to 100.

Does it save my data?

This tool runs entirely in your browser and does not save data between sessions.

What does the donut chart show?

The SVG donut shows the proportion of each budget category based on your income and chosen percentages.

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50/30/20 Budget Calculator

Calculate and track your budget using the 50/30/20 rule.

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About this tool

The 50/30/20 budget rule allocates 50% of after-tax income to Needs, 30% to Wants, and 20% to Savings or debt repayment. Enter your monthly income and instantly see the target amounts. Adjust the percentages freely (they must sum to 100). Track actual spending by entering amounts across 17 sub-categories — the tool shows whether you are over or under budget in each group with a visual progress bar. An SVG donut chart compares allocated vs. actual spending at a glance. The Savings Goal tab shows how many months it takes to reach any target amount at your current savings rate.

How to use

1 Enter your monthly after-tax income.
2 Adjust the Needs / Wants / Savings percentages if desired.
3 Review the allocation amounts and donut chart.
4 Switch to the 'Actual Spending' tab and fill in your real expenses.
5 See over/under budget indicators for each category.
6 Use the 'Savings Goal' tab to estimate time to reach a financial goal.

Frequently Asked Questions

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