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The 50/30/20 budget — how it plays out for you.
Half to needs (rent, food, bills), 30% to wants (fun, dining, subscriptions), 20% to savings and paying off debt faster. It's a starting point, not a hard rule. Move the income slider to see what each category holds.
Where each dollar goes.
A rough split of categories inside each group. Your real numbers will vary — the three big groups (needs / wants / savings) are what to keep an eye on.
Why 20% savings is a minimum, not a cap.
The rule assigns 50% to needs (housing, food, utilities, and the minimum required payments on debts), 30% to wants (entertainment, dining, subscriptions), and 20% to savings plus any extra you put toward paying debt down faster.
needs = income × 0.50
wants = income × 0.30
savings = income × 0.20In practice, needs often creep past 50% in high-cost metros, which means either wants OR savings has to shrink. The rule matters because it forces the tradeoff to be visible.