50/30/20 budget calculator
The 50/30/20 rule is a simple way to split your net monthly income: about half for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for saving. Enter your income to see the split in euros — and adjust the percentages until they fit your life.
Your numbers never leave this page — the maths runs in your browser, and nothing is sent or stored anywhere.
How the 50/30/20 rule works
Take your net income — what actually arrives in your bank account each month — and give every euro one of three jobs. Needs are the bills you cannot skip: rent or mortgage, utilities, groceries, transport to work, insurance, minimum loan payments. Wants are things you could live without in a difficult month: eating out, hobbies, subscriptions, holidays. Savings build your future: an emergency fund first, then investing or paying loans down faster. The rule was popularised by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi in their 2005 book All Your Worth.
A starting point, not a law
The rule's percentages are a starting point. In an expensive city, rent alone can take more than half of a pay cheque, and a 50% needs share is not realistic — that is what the "high rent" preset is for. The exact numbers matter less than the habit: decide the split before the month starts, and check once a month how it went. If your needs share stays high for a long time, housing and transport usually have the largest effect, not smaller daily costs.
Where do I start?
- Enter your net monthly income above.
- Compare the three amounts with what you actually spend. Your bank statement from last month is the honest source.
- Pick one gap to close — the wants share is often the easiest place to start. Our subscription cost calculator shows what your recurring subscriptions add up to.
- Put the savings share aside at the start of the month, not at the end. Saving first makes the target much easier to hit.
Frequently asked questions
Gross or net income? Net. The rule splits the money that actually arrives in your account after tax and other deductions.
Do debt payments count as needs or savings? Minimum payments you must make are needs. Anything extra you pay to clear a loan faster counts as savings — it builds your net worth the same way.
Can I change the percentages? Yes. The sliders above accept any split. The three-bucket thinking is the useful part; the exact numbers should fit your rent, your city and your goals.
What if my partner and I share the bills? Use your combined net income and split the buckets together — one budget for the household usually beats two separate ones.
Want to see what the savings share becomes over the years? Try the compound interest calculator. And if you budget together with a partner, the split works on your combined net income — our guide to budgeting as a couple covers who pays what.
Everything on this page is calculated in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server, stored, or shared. The "copy link" button is the only thing that puts your numbers in the link, and only when you press it.
By Mihkel Vetemaa, Founder & CEO at Bilance · Checked
See the split working
A rule only helps if you can see it working. Bilance syncs your European bank accounts, automatically categorises most transactions, and shows how your spending compares with your budgets.
