Budget Planner — 50/30/20 Calculator & Custom Rules
The Budget Planner helps you create a personalized monthly budget in minutes. Enter your income, choose the 50/30/20 rule, custom ratios, or zero-based budgeting, and instantly see how to allocate every dollar. Customize categories to match your real expenses, compare your plan against actual spending, and get a clear picture of your financial health. Free, no signup required.
Choose Your Budgeting Method
Select a budgeting framework that works best for your financial goals. You can always switch later.
Turn this budget into a live tracker. Auritrack automatically categorizes your spending and shows how you measure up against your budget plan in real time.
Try Auritrack FreeHow to Use the Budget Planner
Enter Your Monthly Take-Home Pay
Type your monthly income after taxes and deductions. You can also enter an annual salary, hourly wage, or bi-weekly paycheck and the tool converts it to a monthly figure automatically.
Choose a Budgeting Method
Select the 50/30/20 rule for a proven framework, custom ratios for full control over categories, or zero-based budgeting to assign every dollar a purpose.
Customize Your Budget Categories
Expand each category and adjust the sub-category amounts to match your real expenses. Add or remove items freely. The parent category percentage updates automatically as you edit.
Compare Your Budget to Actual Spending
Optionally enter what you actually spend in each category. The tool highlights where you are over or under budget with color-coded indicators and a financial health score.
Review Your Personalized Budget Summary
View your complete budget breakdown with category totals, percentage allocations, and remaining income. Use the summary to guide your monthly spending decisions.
Understanding the 50/30/20 Budget Rule
How the 50/30/20 Rule Works
The 50/30/20 rule divides your after-tax income into three simple categories: 50% for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings and debt repayment. Needs cover non-negotiable expenses like rent, utilities, groceries, insurance, and minimum loan payments. Wants include discretionary spending such as dining out, entertainment, subscriptions, and travel. The final 20% goes toward building your financial future through emergency savings, retirement contributions, and accelerated debt payoff. For example, on a monthly take-home pay of $4,000, you would allocate $2,000 to needs, $1,200 to wants, and $800 to savings and debt.
When to Use Custom Ratios or Zero-Based Budgeting
The 50/30/20 split is an excellent starting point, but it does not fit every situation. If you live in a high-cost city where rent alone consumes 40% of your income, you may need a 60/20/20 or 70/20/10 split. Custom ratios let you define your own categories and percentages based on your actual financial obligations. Zero-based budgeting takes a different approach entirely: every dollar of income is assigned a specific job until the remaining balance is exactly zero. This does not mean spending everything — savings and investments are explicit line items. Zero-based budgeting works well for people who want granular control and full accountability over every dollar.
Why Budgeting Matters for Financial Health
A budget is the foundation of every sound financial plan. Without one, spending tends to expand to fill (or exceed) available income. Research consistently shows that people who follow a written budget save more, carry less consumer debt, and feel more confident about their finances. The act of categorizing expenses also reveals spending patterns you might not notice otherwise. Many people discover they spend significantly more on subscriptions, dining out, or impulse purchases than they realized. Once you see the numbers, you can make informed trade-offs rather than wondering where the money went at the end of every month.
Related Tools
Savings Goal Calculator
CalculatorsFind out how much to save each month to reach your target by your deadline. Visualize your progress toward any goal.
Debt Payoff Planner
PlannersCompare snowball vs avalanche methods, see payoff timelines, and plan your debt-free journey.
Subscription Tracker
TrackersList all your recurring subscriptions, see monthly and yearly totals, and find savings opportunities.
Net Worth Calculator
CalculatorsAdd up your assets and liabilities to see your total net worth instantly. Understand where you stand financially.
Frequently Asked Questions
Disclaimer: This tool is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, tax, investment, or legal advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs you provide and may not reflect actual financial outcomes. Always consult a qualified financial professional before making financial decisions.