Bloomin50/30/20 budget calculator
The 50/30/20 rule splits take-home pay three ways: 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and debt payments. On $4,000 a month that's $2,000, $1,200 and $800.
Enter your pay to see your three amounts per paycheck and per month, and how long the 20% would take to cover a goal.
What lands in your account after tax.
Needs · 50%
$1,000per paycheck
About $2,167 a month. Rent, bills, groceries, minimum debt payments.
Wants · 30%
$600per paycheck
About $1,300 a month. Eating out, hobbies, shopping, subscriptions.
Savings and debt payments · 20%
$400per paycheck
About $867 a month. Savings goals and debt payments above the minimum.
If all $400 went to Trip, $2,000 would take 5 paychecks, finishing Jan 2, 2027. Paid every two weeks, starting Nov 7, 2026.
No interest is added. Every number here is plain arithmetic.
This is a general guideline, not personal advice.
To improve these tools, we keep a rounded copy of the numbers and choices you enter. Names you type are kept only if they're common ones like Rent or Vacation. None of it is linked to your name or email. What we keep
How the split works
The calculator takes each percentage of one paycheck, rounded to the cent, so the three amounts always add up to your pay. The monthly figures convert by how often you're paid, so they're approximate for weekly and every-two-weeks pay.
The goal line assumes the whole 20% goes to one goal. If part of it pays down debt, the goal takes longer. No interest is added.
What counts as a need
Needs are costs you'd have to pay anyway: housing, utilities, groceries, insurance, transport to work and minimum debt payments. Wants are the rest of your spending. Where a cost sits is your call, and the rule only works if the 20% actually stays saved.
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Questions
What is the 50/30/20 rule?
A way to split take-home pay: 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and debt payments. It was popularized by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi in their 2005 book All Your Worth.
Does the 20% include paying off debt?
Yes. In the 50/30/20 rule, the 20% covers savings and debt payments above the minimum. Minimum payments count as needs. This calculator shows the amount; how you divide it between savings and debt is up to you.
Should I use take-home pay or my salary?
Take-home pay: what lands in your account after tax and other deductions. Using your salary before tax would make every amount too high.
What if my needs are more than 50%?
That's common where rent is high. The rule is a guideline, not a pass or fail test. Some people use a different split, like the 4-3-2-1 rule, or start with a smaller savings percentage.