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50/30/20 budget calculator

With a net income of €2,000.00, the 50/30/20 rule gives you €1,000.00 for needs, €600.00 for wants and €400.00 for savings each month. Put in your own take-home pay, and change the split if 50/30/20 doesn't fit your rent or goals.

Percent
  • Needs · 50%Rent, bills, groceries, transport€1,000.00
  • Wants · 30%Eating out, trips, hobbies€600.00
  • Savings · 20%Emergency fund, debt, investing€400.00

How it's calculated

The rule splits what you take home after tax, not your gross salary. Needs are the bills you can't skip: rent or mortgage, utilities, groceries, transport to work, insurance and minimum loan payments.

Wants are everything you could cut: eating out, trips, hobbies, subscriptions, new clothes. Savings cover your emergency fund, extra debt payments and investing.

If your rent alone takes more than half your income, try 60/20/20 or 70/20/10 for now. The point is to decide the split before the month starts, then check it against what you actually spent.

Questions people ask

What is the 50/30/20 rule?

A simple budget: 50% of your net income for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and paying off debt.

Should I use gross or net income?

Net, the amount that reaches your account. Taxes and social contributions are already gone by then.

Is rent a need or a want?

A need. A bigger flat than you need, or a second car, is partly a want, but the basic cost of a place to live is a need.

What if 50% isn't enough for my needs?

Change the percentages. 60/20/20 is common where housing is expensive. Keep savings at least at 10% if you can.

How do I check if I stick to it?

Track what you spend for a month and compare each group with the plan. Where Went shows spending by category for every month.

Related tools

Want to track this every month? See the Free Monthly Budget Planner Online.

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