Monthly budget calculator

Which expenses should I include?

Include everything you pay in a typical month, including small and irregular costs spread out monthly. Forgotten small items are the most common reason a budget looks fine on paper and fails in practice. Pull the numbers from bank and card statements rather than memory.

• Fixed costs: rent or mortgage, utilities, phone and internet, insurance, childcare, loan payments.
• Variable costs: groceries, fuel and transit, eating out, clothing, health.
• Subscriptions: streaming, music, cloud storage, apps, gym. Each looks small; together they often are not.
• Annual costs: car insurance, registrations, memberships, gifts. Divide by 12 and add as a monthly line.

What do the results mean?

“Left over” is income minus expenses; your savings rate is that amount as a share of income. A negative number means you are spending more than you earn, and the gap is probably landing on a credit card. A savings rate of 20% or more meets the 50/30/20 guideline.

• Below zero: look at the largest variable categories first; they are the fastest to change.
• Under 10%: set up an automatic transfer of a fixed amount on payday, even a small one.
• One category over 40% of spending (usually housing): your budget is sensitive to that cost, which makes an emergency fund more important.

To compare the plan with reality, use the free expense tracker spreadsheet or log spending as you go in WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate a monthly budget?

Subtract all monthly expenses (fixed costs, variable spending, subscriptions and annual costs divided by 12) from your monthly take-home pay. The result is what you can save; divide it by income for your savings rate.

How should I handle yearly bills?

Divide each yearly bill by 12 and add it as a monthly expense, then set that amount aside each month so the bill does not hit one month's budget all at once.

Is the data I enter saved?

No. Everything is calculated in your browser. When you close the page the numbers are gone, and nothing is sent to our servers.