Budget & Emergency Fund Calculator

Put in your take-home pay and what you spend, and see how your budget compares with the 50/30/20 guideline: 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings. Then check your emergency fund: how many months of essentials it covers, how much more you need, and the month you’ll get there.

How it works

Needs are the bills you must pay: housing, utilities, groceries, transport, insurance and minimum debt payments.
Wants are everything else you spend. Whatever is left over is what you can save or put toward debt.
Your split is compared with 50/30/20. The verdict is Balanced when needs are at most 50% and at least 20% is left, Close up to 60% needs and 10% left, and Stretched beyond that.
The emergency fund goal is the number of months you choose × your monthly needs, with a $1,000 starter milestone along the way (the first step suggested by many planners).

A worked example

On $4,800 a month take-home with $3,030 of needs and $900 of wants, needs take 63% of your pay and $870 (18%) is left, so the budget is stretched. With $2,500 saved, your emergency fund covers less than a month of needs. A 6-month fund is $18,180. Saving $300 a month gets you there in about 4½ years; putting the whole $870 toward it cuts that to about a year and a half.

The 50/30/20 rule explained, or try zero-based budgeting if you want every dollar assigned.
Emergency fund essentials and balancing an emergency fund with debt payoff.

These calculators are for education, not financial advice: we are not financial advisors, and your situation may differ. For big decisions, talk to a fee-only financial planner.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 50/30/20 rule?

A simple budgeting guideline: about 50% of take-home pay for needs (housing, utilities, groceries, transport, insurance, minimum debt payments), 30% for wants, and 20% for saving and paying off debt faster. It was popularised by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi in their book All Your Worth. Treat it as a starting point: in expensive cities needs often take more than half.

How big should my emergency fund be?

A common target is 3 to 6 months of essential expenses. Aim for the top of that range, or more, if you’re self-employed, the only earner, or work in an unstable industry. If that feels out of reach, start with a $1,000 starter fund, as many planners and the Baby Steps suggest.

Should the emergency fund cover all my spending?

No, just your needs. In an emergency you would cut the wants, so the calculator measures your fund in months of needs, not total spending.

Where should I keep my emergency fund?

Somewhere safe and easy to reach but separate from your everyday account, such as a high-yield savings account. Not in stocks, which can be down just when you need the money.

Is my information stored?

No. Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing you type is saved on our server or sent anywhere. The share link keeps your numbers in the part of the web address after the # sign, which browsers do not send to the website.