50/30/20 Budget Calculator
This is the simplest budget that actually sticks: 50% of your take-home for needs, 30% for wants, 20% for savings and extra debt payoff. Punch in your numbers and see exactly where reality drifts from the plan.
After taxes — what actually hits your account.
Needs cap (50%)
$2,250
Wants cap (30%)
$1,350
Savings floor (20%)
$900
🐻 $200/mo is unaccounted for. Untracked money almost always behaves like a "want." Route it to savings before it evaporates.
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How this is calculated
The split applies to take-home (after-tax) pay: needs ≤ 50% (housing, groceries, transport, insurance, minimum debt payments), wants ≤ 30% (everything optional), savings ≥ 20% (including extra debt payments beyond minimums — paying down principal IS saving).
The comparison bars mark each cap; spending past the line shows in red. The most common finding isn't overspending in a category — it's untracked money, which behaves like a want without ever being enjoyed like one.
If needs exceed 50%, the fix is usually structural (housing or car), not willpower. The percentages are a diagnosis tool: they tell you whether you have a habits problem or a fixed-costs problem — they need different treatments.
Common questions
Is a minimum debt payment a need or savings?
Minimum payments are needs — they're obligations. Anything beyond the minimum counts toward your 20%, because extra principal payments build net worth exactly like savings do.
What if my needs are way over 50%?
Common in high-cost cities — treat 50/30/20 as a compass, not a law. Protect the 20% savings floor first, squeeze wants second, and recognize that big structural moves (rent, car, roommate) matter more than latte-level cuts.
Why does budgeting by percentages work better than tracking every dollar?
Because it's sustainable. Three buckets survive contact with real life; forty categories don't. The Wealth System takes it further — automating the split so the budget runs without monthly effort.
Go deeper
A budget that runs on automation, not willpower
This math is taught step-by-step in Module 1 of the Bear Bankroll Wealth System — with interactive worksheets that run the numbers on YOUR situation.
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Educational tool only — estimates, not financial advice. Your numbers stay in your browser and are never sent to our servers.