Tools · Budget Builder
Budget builder.
Your personalized starting point.
Enter your take-home and current expenses. Get a personalized budget allocation, percentage breakdown vs. recommended targets, and exactly which lines to adjust to reach a 15% savings rate. The most useful first step in personal finance is knowing where the money actually goes.
Targets reference US conventions (28% housing, 15% savings rate). Adjust if your local cost structure differs.
WORKED EXAMPLE
$4,200 monthly take-home. Housing $1,400 (33%, target under 28%). Transport $600 (14%, on target). Food $500 (12%, on target). Savings $300 (7%, target 15%+). Everything else $1,400 (33%). Adjustment: $336/month from discretionary to savings reaches the 15% savings target.
INCOME
Net pay after taxes, 401k, and health insurance.
FIXED EXPENSES ($/mo)
VARIABLE EXPENSES ($/mo)
SAVINGS / INVESTING ($/mo)
RESULTS
RECOMMENDATIONS
Enter your numbers above.
Targets and methodology
- Housing target under 28% of take-home (the conservative variant of the 28/36 rule).
- Transport target under 15% (car payment + gas + insurance combined).
- Food target under 12% (groceries + dining out).
- Savings target at least 15%, including 401k contributions if not already deducted from take-home.
- The percentages are guidelines, not laws. Local cost structure (high-cost coastal cities) often pushes housing higher; that just means the savings rate is harder to hit and warrants harder choices.