Tulnest

Budget Calculator

Split your monthly income into a 50/30/20, 70/20/10 or 60/30/10 budget — or build a custom zero-based budget with your own categories. Live pie chart.

Needs
%
2,500.00
Wants
%
1,500.00
Savings & debt repayment
%
1,000.00
Total100% — 5,000.00

Build a monthly budget in seconds. Pick a popular preset — 50/30/20, 70/20/10 or 60/30/10 — to see exactly how much of your income goes into each bucket, or switch to Custom to build a zero-based budget with your own categories and percentages. The pie chart updates live as you change the splits.

All three presets work with after-tax (take-home) income. The 50/30/20 rule — popularised by Senator Elizabeth Warren — is the most common starting point: 50% on needs, 30% on wants, 20% on savings and debt repayment.

How to use

  1. Enter your monthly after-tax income.
  2. Pick a preset (50/30/20 is the most common starting point) or switch to Custom for a zero-based budget.
  3. In Custom mode, edit category names and percentages directly. The total must reach 100% — the indicator at the bottom turns green when it does.
  4. The pie chart and dollar amounts beside each category update instantly as you make changes.

Frequently asked questions

What's the 50/30/20 rule?
Spend up to 50% of after-tax income on needs (housing, utilities, groceries, transport), up to 30% on wants (dining out, entertainment, subscriptions), and at least 20% on savings and debt repayment. It was popularised by Senator Elizabeth Warren and is the most common starting framework.
What's a zero-based budget?
A budget where every dollar of income is assigned a job — categories must sum to exactly 100%. The Custom mode in this tool is a zero-based template; use the percentage indicator at the bottom to know when you've allocated all of it.
Should I budget on gross or after-tax income?
After-tax (take-home). Income tax has already been deducted from what you can actually spend, so building a budget around the gross number consistently overshoots reality.

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