Monthly Budget Calculator Give every dollar a job, then print it.
Enter your income, list your categories and watch the unassigned amount drop to zero. Print the result as a one-page budget for the fridge or a folder.
1. Your monthly income
Use take-home pay, after taxes and deductions. If your pay varies, use the lowest recent month.
2. Your categories
Add each bill, spending area and goal with its planned amount for the month.
Your numbers stay in this browser tab. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Estimates only. This is a planning aid, not financial advice.
How does the monthly budget calculator work?
The calculator uses the zero-based method: income minus every planned amount should equal zero. That does not mean you spend everything. Savings, a repair fund and an extra debt payment all count as planned amounts, because each one is a job you gave a dollar. What you avoid is leftover money with no job, which tends to disappear into small purchases.
The three types
- Fixed bills repeat at the same amount: rent, insurance, phone, minimum debt payments.
- Everyday spending changes: groceries, gas, eating out, kids, household items.
- Savings or debt covers goals: an emergency fund, a sinking fund for car repairs, extra debt payments.
The bar and totals show how your income splits between the three, which is more useful than a fixed rule. There is no single correct split. A household with high rent will have a larger fixed share, and a household paying off a card may deliberately raise the savings-or-debt share.
A worked example
Press Try an example to load a $3,200 budget. Fixed bills are $1,480 (rent, utilities and phone, car insurance), everyday spending is $990 (groceries, gas, eating out, household and kids, fun money) and savings or debt is $730 (minimum debt payments, a starter emergency fund, an extra debt payment and a car repair fund). Together they equal $3,200, so every dollar has a job.
If the number is not zero
- Unassigned money: give it a job before the month starts. A small starter emergency fund is a common first choice.
- Over budget: lower an everyday-spending line or a goal, rather than abandoning the plan. Overspending on paper is much easier to fix than overspending in real life.
Irregular costs
Car registration, birthdays, school supplies and annual subscriptions do not arrive monthly. Estimate each one's yearly cost, divide by 12 and add the result as a monthly line, for example "Car and gifts fund." Our family budget planner guide shows how to build the list from last month's statements.
Questions about monthly budgets
Should I use gross or take-home income?
Take-home pay: the amount that actually lands in your account after taxes and deductions. Budgeting against gross income plans money you never see.
My income changes every month. What should I enter?
Use the lowest month from the last three. In a better month, give the extra to a goal or a buffer instead of raising your everyday spending.
Do savings count as spending?
In a zero-based budget they count as planned amounts, because the aim is to give every dollar a destination. Saving is a decision, not what is left over.
Can I save my budget?
The calculator does not store anything, which is why your numbers stay private. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser's print dialog. For a budget that stays on your phone, try the free Paper & Prosperity app.
How is this different from the paycheck bill planner?
This calculator plans the whole month by category. The paycheck bill planner shows which paycheck covers each bill, which matters when your paydays and due dates do not line up.