Budget
Budget Calculator
Get a clear picture of your monthly cash flow. Enter your take-home income and your spending across the nine most common categories to see what is left over, where your money goes, and how your savings rate compares to typical benchmarks.
Results
Total income: $4,500.00, Total expenses: $3,320.00, Remaining balance: $1,180.00, Expense-to-income ratio: 73.8%, Savings rate: 26.2%
- Total income
- $4,500.00
- Total expenses
- $3,320.00
- Remaining balance
- $1,180.00
- Left over after all listed expenses
- Expense-to-income ratio
- 73.8%
- Under 80% leaves room for saving
- Savings rate
- 26.2%
- 20% is a common long-term target
Category breakdown
| Category | Monthly amount | % of income |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $1,400.00 | 31% |
| Groceries | $550.00 | 12% |
| Transportation | $320.00 | 7% |
| Utilities | $220.00 | 5% |
| Entertainment | $200.00 | 4% |
| Insurance | $180.00 | 4% |
| Shopping | $180.00 | 4% |
| Other | $150.00 | 3% |
| Healthcare | $120.00 | 3% |
How to use this calculator
- Enter your monthly take-home income — the amount that actually hits your bank account each month after taxes and payroll deductions.
- Fill in what you spend in each category. Leave a category blank or enter 0 if it does not apply to you.
- Use monthly averages for irregular costs: for a $600 car insurance bill every six months, enter $100 per month.
- Review your results: remaining balance, expense-to-income ratio, savings rate, and a breakdown of every category.
- Adjust the numbers to test changes — this is a planning tool, so experimenting is the point.
How the calculation works
total expenses = housing + utilities + groceries + transportation + insurance + healthcare + entertainment + shopping + other remaining = income − total expenses savings rate = remaining ÷ income
The math is simple addition — the value is seeing all nine categories side by side so nothing hides. The expense-to-income ratio and savings rate turn the totals into benchmarks you can act on.
Worked example
Input
$4,500 take-home income; $1,400 housing, $220 utilities, $550 groceries, $320 transportation, $180 insurance, $120 healthcare, $200 entertainment, $180 shopping, $150 other.
Result
Total expenses: $3,320. Remaining: $1,180 per month. Expense-to-income ratio: 73.8%. Savings rate: 26.2% — above the 20% benchmark many planners suggest.
Assumptions and important notes
- Income means take-home (after-tax) pay; pre-tax salary would overstate what you can actually spend.
- Irregular expenses should be converted to monthly averages, since the calculator compares one month at a time.
- Debt payments like credit card minimums can be counted under their spending category or "Other" — consistency matters more than the choice.
Frequently asked questions
Should I include retirement contributions in the expenses?
No — treat money you save or invest as part of your remaining balance, not as spending. That way your savings rate reflects everything you are not spending, including 401(k) contributions deducted from your paycheck.
What is a good expense-to-income ratio?
A common guideline is keeping total expenses under 80% of take-home pay, which leaves 20% for savings and goals. Above 100% means you are going into debt each month; below 50% is excellent and usually means aggressive saving.
How do I handle expenses that change every month?
Use a monthly average. Add up a full year of the expense and divide by 12 — or take three recent months and divide by 3. Averages beat a "good month" snapshot because your budget has to survive expensive months too.
Is this the same as the 50/30/20 rule?
No. This calculator reports what your spending actually is, category by category. The 50/30/20 calculator is a target framework that suggests how much you should spend. Use this one first to see reality, then the 50/30/20 one to set goals.
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