How to plan a monthly budget
- Enter your monthly take-home income.
- Fill in each spending category and what you save or invest, renaming or adding rows as you need.
- Read what's left over, each category's share and the 50/30/20 comparison, then download the CSV.
Examples
Take-home pay of ₹80,000 plus ₹5,000 of other income makes ₹85,000. Rent ₹20,000, EMI ₹10,000, groceries ₹8,000, bills ₹3,500, transport ₹4,000, school fees ₹6,000 and insurance ₹2,500 are ₹54,000 of needs, 63.5% of income. Subscriptions ₹1,500 and other spending ₹8,000 are ₹9,500 of wants, 11.2%. With ₹15,000 saved and invested (17.6%), ₹6,500 is left over.
Take-home pay of ₹45,000: rent ₹15,000, EMI ₹6,000, groceries ₹7,000, bills ₹3,000 and transport ₹2,500 are ₹33,500 of needs, 74.4% against the 50% guideline. Wants come to ₹5,800, and a ₹4,000 SIP is 8.9% of income, which leaves ₹1,700.
Take-home pay of ₹30,000 with rent of ₹18,000, an EMI of ₹9,000 and groceries of ₹6,000 adds up to ₹33,000 of spending, so the plan is short by ₹3,000 a month.
About this tool
Write down what comes in and what goes out each month, and see what is left. Start with your take-home pay, fill in spending such as rent, EMIs, groceries, bills, transport, school fees and insurance, then add savings and investments. Rename or add categories to match your home. Each one's share of income is shown, with a comparison against the 50/30/20 guideline, which is a rule of thumb rather than a rule. The budget is saved in your browser, and you can download it as a CSV.
Common questions
What is the 50/30/20 rule?
It's a rule of thumb from personal finance writing: about 50% of take-home pay for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings. It isn't an official rule, and in big cities rent and EMIs often take more than half, so use it as a guide to compare against.
Should I enter my salary before or after tax?
After. Use the amount that reaches your bank each month, after income tax, PF and professional tax. The In-Hand Salary Calculator can work it out from your CTC.
What counts as a need, and what as a want?
Needs are what you'd have to pay anyway, such as rent, EMIs, groceries, bills, school fees and insurance. Wants are choices, such as eating out, shopping and subscriptions. You can mark each row either way.
Where is my budget saved?
In this browser on this device. It isn't sent anywhere. Clearing your browser data or switching devices removes it, so download the CSV to keep a copy.
Is it free to use?
Yes. There's no sign-up, and you can use it as often as you like.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. This tool runs inside your browser, so what you enter stays on your device.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It works in your browser on a computer or a phone.