50/30/20 Budget Calculator
The 50/30/20 rule splits your take-home pay into three buckets: 50% for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings and debt. Enter your monthly after-tax income to see your breakdown.
$
- Needs · 50%
- $2,000
- Wants · 30%
- $1,200
- Savings & Debt · 20%
- $800
What the 50/30/20 rule means
- 50% needs — rent or mortgage, utilities, groceries, insurance, minimum debt payments, transportation.
- 30% wants — dining out, subscriptions, travel, hobbies, and other non-essentials.
- 20% savings & debt — emergency fund, retirement, investments, and extra payments beyond the minimum.
How to use your breakdown
Use the numbers above as targets, not hard rules. If your needs run above 50% — common in higher-cost cities — trim wants first, and protect the savings bucket. The point is a plan you can actually follow month to month.
Turn the targets into a real budget
Zowda categorizes your spending, and its AI assistant builds a budget around your actual income — no spreadsheet required.
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