Budget
Builder
Enter your monthly take-home pay and split it across needs, wants, and savings. Adjust percentages and categories to build a budget that actually fits your life.
Monthly Take-Home Pay
Enter your net monthly income after tax
£1,000
Needs (50%)
£600
Wants (30%)
£400
Savings (20%)
Needs
£1,000Essential expenses you cannot avoid
Wants
£600Nice to have, but not essential
Savings
£400Future you, investing, and emergencies
Over budget
You're £2 over budget — reduce some categories.
The 50/30/20 rule is a guideline, not a rule. If you live in London or have a high cost of living, your “needs” may naturally take more than 50%. Adjust the percentages to fit your reality. The goal is awareness — knowing where your money goes is the first step to taking control of it.
The 50/30/20 rule explained
Essential expenses: rent, utilities, groceries, transport, insurance, and minimum debt payments. These are non-negotiable — you need them to function. If your needs consistently exceed 50%, the answer is usually to increase income or find ways to reduce fixed costs like rent.
Lifestyle spending: eating out, subscriptions, clothes, hobbies, holidays. These improve your quality of life but aren't essential. This is also the easiest category to cut when money is tight. Ask yourself: 'Would I rather have this now, or be £200 closer to my savings goal?'
Future you: emergency fund, ISA contributions, pension top-ups, house deposit. Pay yourself first — move this money out of your current account on payday, before you can spend it. Even £50/month into a Stocks & Shares ISA started at 21 can grow significantly by retirement.