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50/30/20 budget calculator

The 50/30/20 rule splits take-home pay three ways: 50% for needs (housing, utilities, groceries, insurance, minimum debt payments), 30% for wants, and 20% for savings and paying down debt. To use it with a paycheck, first turn the paycheck into a monthly figure: weekly pay × 52 ÷ 12, every 2 weeks × 26 ÷ 12, twice a month × 2, monthly as it is.

Method: the 50/30/20 rule from Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi’s book All Your Worth, applied to take-home pay, with the pay-schedule conversion Paycheck Planner uses. Not financial advice. Last checked 15 October 2026.

Paycheck

After taxes and deductions: what lands in your account.

Split (%)

Result

Enter your take-home pay per paycheck.

Paycheck Planner shows what is safe to spend before your next payday.

Worked example

$3,575.00 a month: $1,787.50 / $1,072.50 / $715.00

Computed by the same code as the calculator above.

Take-home pay of $1,650.00 every 2 weeks, after taxes and payroll deductions.

  1. Paychecks a year: every 2 weeks is 26, so two months a year have three paydays.
  2. Monthly take-home: $1,650.00 × 26 ÷ 12 = $3,575.00. Multiplying by 2 instead would give $3,300.00 and lose $275.00 a month.
  3. Split it 50/30/20: needs $1,787.50, wants $1,072.50, savings and debt $715.00.
BucketPer paycheckPer month
Needs (50%)$825.00$1,787.50
Wants (30%)$495.00$1,072.50
Savings and debt (20%)$330.00$715.00

Limits, and when to get advice

  • Not financial advice. This is a planning estimate for your own budget, not a recommendation about what you should spend, save or invest.
  • Use take-home pay, after taxes and payroll deductions. If retirement savings already comes out of your paycheck, it counts toward the 20%, so you may need less from what lands in your account.
  • The split is a starting point. In a high-rent area needs can take far more than 50%; the percentages are editable for that reason.
  • Pay that changes from check to check, such as tips, commission or overtime, needs an average. Use a typical paycheck, or a low one to be safe.
  • For debt that is past due, a plan for paying it down, or tax questions, talk to a qualified professional such as a nonprofit credit counselor.

Know what is safe to spend before payday

Paycheck Planner subtracts the bills still due before your next payday from your balance and shows one number, with no bank linking. Free download with a one-time unlock.

Download Paycheck Planner on the App StorePaycheck Planner details

Questions

What counts as a need?

The bills you cannot skip without real harm: rent or mortgage, utilities, groceries, insurance, transport to work, child care and the minimum payment on every debt. Anything you could pause or cut back for a month is a want.

Does the 20% include paying off debt?

Yes. Minimum payments are needs; anything you pay above the minimum to clear debt faster comes out of the 20%, along with emergency savings and retirement.

I get paid every 2 weeks. Why not just double my paycheck?

Every 2 weeks is 26 paychecks a year, not 24, so the monthly average is the paycheck × 26 ÷ 12. Doubling it undercounts by about one paycheck every six months. Two months a year bring a third paycheck.

Is 50/30/20 based on gross or net pay?

Net: what reaches your account after taxes and deductions. Using gross pay overstates what you have to split.

What does Paycheck Planner add?

The app answers a different question: between now and your next payday, after the bills still due before it, how much is safe to spend. It is free with one paycheck and up to 5 bills. Budget Access, a one-time $4.99 purchase, adds unlimited bills, more income sources, trends and a buffer. It does not split your pay into categories.

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