Budgeting calculators
Free UK budgeting tools to help you understand where your money goes. Start with your take-home pay, split it across the bills you have to pay and the spending you choose, and see what's left to save.
Budget from your take-home pay
The number on your contract isn't the number that reaches your account. For 2026/27 you'll pay income tax on anything above the £12,570 personal allowance, National Insurance at 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% above that. Most people also lose a workplace pension contribution, and around a quarter of working-age adults repay a student loan on top.
Work out what actually lands, then budget that. Starting from gross salary overstates what you have to spend by a few hundred pounds a month on an average income.
What the 50/30/20 split does
50/30/20 divides your take-home pay three ways: 50% to needs, 30% to wants, 20% to savings and extra debt repayments. Needs are the bills you can't stop paying this month, so rent or mortgage, council tax, utilities, food, insurance and travel to work. Wants are everything discretionary. The last slice covers your emergency fund, pension contributions above the minimum, and anything you're overpaying on debt.
Treat the percentages as a benchmark, not a target. If you rent in Edinburgh, Bristol or London, 50% on needs is often out of reach, and the useful output is the size of the gap rather than the fact that you missed it. A planner that tells you needs come to 65% has told you something you can act on: the extra 15% has to come from wants or savings, and it's better to choose which before the month starts.
Getting the inputs right
Two things throw a budget off more than anything else. The first is annual costs. Car insurance, the MOT, Christmas and a summer holiday don't appear in a normal month, so they get left out and then arrive as a shock. Total them for the year, divide by 12, and treat the result as a monthly need.
The second is where you live. Scottish taxpayers pay income tax across six bands set by the Scottish Parliament rather than the three used in the rest of the UK, so an identical salary produces a different take-home figure north and south of the border. Use the Scottish number if it applies to you.
Where to start
If you don't know your monthly take-home pay, run the take-home pay calculator first, then bring that figure to the 50/30/20 budget planner. If you already know it, start with the planner. For the reasoning behind the split and what to do when your numbers don't fit it, read the 50/30/20 budget rule guide.
Frequently asked questions
Should I budget from my gross salary or my take-home pay?
Take-home pay, every time. Your gross salary is taxed before you see it, and on top of income tax and National Insurance most people also lose a workplace pension contribution and, often, a student loan repayment. Budgeting from gross overstates what you can spend by a few hundred pounds a month on an average salary.
What is the 50/30/20 budget rule?
It splits your take-home pay three ways: 50 per cent to needs, 30 per cent to wants, and 20 per cent to savings and extra debt repayments. Needs are the bills you cannot stop paying this month, wants are discretionary spending, and the last slice covers your emergency fund, pension top-ups and anything you overpay on debt.
Does the 50/30/20 rule work if rent takes most of my income?
The percentages are a benchmark rather than a target, and in high-rent areas 50 per cent on needs is often out of reach. The useful output is the size of the gap. If needs come to 65 per cent, that tells you the 15 per cent has to come out of wants or savings, and you can decide which before the month starts rather than after.
How do I budget when my income changes month to month?
Budget on your lowest realistic month rather than your average. Set your needs and savings against that figure, then treat anything above it as unallocated income you assign when it arrives. This keeps the fixed half of the plan stable when a quiet month lands.
Do pension contributions count as savings in a budget?
Yes, though the money never reaches your current account. A salary sacrifice or net pay contribution is already deducted before your take-home figure, so count it inside the 20 per cent and reduce what you need to save separately. Only count the part you actually control, not the employer contribution.
Is take-home pay different in Scotland?
Yes. Scottish taxpayers pay income tax on six bands set by the Scottish Parliament rather than the three used in the rest of the UK, so the same salary produces a different monthly figure. National Insurance is identical across the UK. Use a Scottish take-home figure if you live in Scotland, or your budget will start from the wrong number.