What is the 50/30/20 rule?
The 50/30/20 rule is a popular budgeting framework: allocate 50% of after-tax income to needs (housing, food, utilities), 30% to wants (entertainment, dining out), and 20% to savings and debt repayment.
How this calculator works
Enter your monthly after-tax income and adjust the needs, wants, and savings percentages if you’d like a different split than the standard 50/30/20. The calculator normalizes your percentages and applies them to your income to show a suggested dollar amount for each category.
This is a general budgeting guideline for educational purposes, not personalized financial advice. Adjust the categories to fit your own circumstances.
Last reviewed August 2026