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50/30/20 Budget Calculator
The 50/30/20 rule splits take-home pay into 50% needs, 30% wants and 20% savings. It is a rule of thumb, not advice.
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Type your income and spending. The result and the arithmetic appear here.
50/30/20 rule of thumb
| Group | Target | You entered | Difference |
|---|
Your fixed expenses are counted as needs, your variable expenses as wants. That is our simple matching, not a rule. A rule of thumb is a starting point, not advice.
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What is the 50/30/20 rule?
The 50/30/20 rule is a rule of thumb for dividing take-home pay: 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings goals. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) puts it in a classroom guide like this:
“One rule to live by when budgeting is to use 50 percent of your income on needs, 30 percent on wants, and 20 percent on savings goals.” (CFPB, “Analyzing budgets,” Summer 2022)
The same guide gives examples. Needs include things like rent or a mortgage, food, utilities and transportation. Wants include things like eating out, vacations and entertainment. Savings goals include things like an emergency fund, education and retirement. The guide also says not everyone can follow the rule and that people should find a personal rule that fits their situation.
How this calculator uses it
Enter your take-home pay. The calculator multiplies it by 50%, 30% and 20% and rounds to the cent. Then it compares those targets with what you typed:
- Your fixed expenses are compared with the needs target.
- Your variable expenses are compared with the wants target.
- Your savings are compared with the savings target.
That matching is our simplification. Some fixed costs may feel like wants to you, and some variable costs, like groceries, are needs. Move the numbers around until the groups fit how you see them.
Worked example (made-up numbers)
| Group | Share | Of $4,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Needs | 50% | $2,000 |
| Wants | 30% | $1,200 |
| Savings | 20% | $800 |
$4,000 × 50% = $2,000 · $4,000 × 30% = $1,200 · $4,000 × 20% = $800
If a percentage does not come out to a whole cent, needs and wants are rounded and savings take the rest, so the three always add up to your income.
Before you rely on it
The percentages are a starting point, not a plan made for you. In some places rent alone can be more than half of take-home pay, and some people are paying off debt or saving more. This site does not give financial, tax or legal advice. It does simple arithmetic on the numbers you type. Use take-home pay (after tax), because that is what the rule is based on in the CFPB guide’s examples.
Want a simpler view first? Use the simple budget template.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 50/30/20 rule?
A rule of thumb that suggests using about 50% of take-home pay on needs, 30% on wants and 20% on savings goals. The CFPB describes it in a classroom guide as one rule to live by when budgeting.
Is the 50/30/20 rule financial advice?
No. It is a rule of thumb, and the same CFPB guide notes that not everyone can follow it. Your situation may differ.
Is it based on income before or after tax?
Use take-home pay, the amount that reaches your account. That is how this calculator works.
What counts as a need, a want or savings?
The CFPB guide lists examples: rent or mortgage, food, utilities and transportation as needs; eating out, vacations and entertainment as wants; an emergency fund, education and retirement as savings goals. How you sort a cost is up to you.
Can I get a 50/30/20 budget template for Excel or Google Sheets?
Press “Download CSV” and open the file in Excel or Sheets, or press “Copy for Google Sheets” and paste. The file includes your three targets when the 50/30/20 comparison is turned on.
Is my data stored anywhere?
Only in your browser, and only if you press “Save in this browser.” Nothing is sent to us.
Source
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), “Analyzing budgets,” teacher guide, building block activities, Summer 2022. https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_building_block_activities_analyzing-budgets_guide.pdf. Related activity page: Learning about budgets (updated June 16, 2022).
Checked on October 10, 2026. This is a classroom guide, not a rule of law and not personal advice. Spot a mistake? Email info@budgettemplate.app.
Last updated: October 10, 2026