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Paycheck Budget Planner

Break down a paycheck into needs, wants, and savings/debt using the 50/30/20 rule or similar splits. Runs entirely in your browser.

This works right here on your device — nothing gets sent out.

Needs

—

Wants

—

Savings / debt

—

Needs: rent, utilities, groceries, insurance, minimum debt payments. Wants: dining out, entertainment, subscriptions. Savings/debt: extra debt payoff, retirement, emergency fund.

How it works

  1. Enter your take-home pay for one paycheck.
  2. Pick a budget split model.
  3. See dollar amounts for needs, wants, and savings/debt.

The formula

Needs = take-home pay × needs %
Wants = take-home pay × wants %
Savings/debt = take-home pay × savings %

FAQ

What is the 50/30/20 rule?

A simple budgeting guideline: 50% of take-home pay goes to needs (rent, utilities, groceries, minimum debt payments), 30% to wants (dining out, entertainment, subscriptions), and 20% to savings and extra debt payoff.

Why offer other splits like 60/20/20 or 70/20/10?

The right split depends on your cost of living and income — someone in a high-cost area may need a larger "needs" share, while someone with strong savings goals might aim for more than 20% toward savings/debt.

Should I use gross or take-home pay?

Take-home (net) pay — after taxes and payroll deductions — since that's the actual amount available to allocate, not the amount before withholding.

Is my financial data uploaded anywhere?

No — every calculation happens locally in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.

How we compare

Feature Online Tool Store Manual mental math Budgeting apps
Multiple split models to compare ✓ Recalculate each option by hand Usually locked to one method
No account or bank linking ✓ ✓ Often requires connecting accounts

For a quick paycheck-to-paycheck breakdown without signing up for a full budgeting app, this is faster and more private.

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