What is the 50-30-20 rule?

Asked by: Dixie Satterfield MD  |  Last update: November 11, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (7 votes)

Key Takeaways. The 50-30-20 budget rule states that you should spend up to 50% of your after-tax income on needs and obligations that you must have or must do. The remaining half should dedicate 20% to savings, leaving 30% to be spent on things you want but don't necessarily need.

Is the 50/30/20 rule a good idea?

It absolutely is. The reason the rule exists is to make sure your expenses are in proportion to your income. It may be harder to achieve this now than before but if you can't achieve it, that means your expenses are too high or your salary is too low.

How do you calculate the 50/30/20 rule?

Enter Your Monthly Income

50% of your net income should go towards living expenses and essentials (Needs), 20% of your net income should go towards debt reduction and savings (Debt Reduction and Savings), and 30% of your net income should go towards discretionary spending (Wants).

What is the 75 15 10 rule?

Quick Take: The 75/15/10 Budgeting Rule

The 75/15/10 rule is a simple way to budget and allocate your paycheck. This is when you divert 75% of your income to needs such as everyday expenses, 15% to long-term investing and 10% for short-term savings. It's all about creating a balanced and practical plan for your money.

How much money should you have left over every month?

The 50-30-20 budgeting rule can help you determine how much of your income should be saved. If the last couple years have taught us one thing about managing money, it's that having some savings set aside is crucial.

How To Manage Your Money (50/30/20 Rule)

22 related questions found

How much money do you need to retire with $100,000 a year income?

There are guidelines to help you set one if you're looking for a single number to be your retirement nest egg goal. Some advisors recommend saving 12 times your annual salary. 12 A 66-year-old $100,000-per-year earner would need $1.2 million at retirement under this rule.

What is the 70/20/10 rule money?

First, calculate your monthly take-home pay, then multiply it by 0.70 to get the amount you can spend on living expenses and discretionary purchases, such as entertainment and travel. Next, multiply your monthly income by 0.20 to get your savings allotment and 0.10 to get your debt repayment.

What is the 40-40-20 budget rule?

The 40/40/20 rule comes in during the saving phase of his wealth creation formula. Cardone says that from your gross income, 40% should be set aside for taxes, 40% should be saved, and you should live off of the remaining 20%.

What is the 7 out of 10 rule?

This is where the 7/10 rule comes in. A rating of 7 is where you have managed to get the job done. You know there was an extra rep in the tank or another couple of miles if you were asked to do them, but on the whole you got what you were looking for from the days work and will be able to get the benefit later on.

What is the 10 payment rule?

More often than not, an installment loan (i.e. car loan or student loan) can be excluded during the approval process so long as you only have 10 payment or less to make. While some lenders have their own restrictions, most conventional and unconventional mortgage products allow you to exclude this debt.

What is a good monthly income?

While this figure can vary based on factors such as location, family size, and lifestyle preferences, a common range for a good monthly salary is between $6,000 and $8,333 for individuals.

Is 50/30/20 gross or net?

Our 50/30/20 calculator divides your take-home income, or the money that goes into your account after taxes, into suggested spending in three categories: 50% of net pay for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and debt repayment.

How much should I save if I make $3,000 a month?

Calculating your target budget

If you make $3000 a month after taxes, then 50% ($1500) would go toward needs, the next 30% ($900) goes toward your wants or discretionary spending, and the remaining 20% ($600) goes toward your savings.

Which is better, 50/30/20 or 70/20/10?

It can work well if your essential expenses are within 50% of your income and you want a balanced approach to spending and saving. 70/20/10 Rule: May be better if you aim to save more aggressively or have higher essential expenses that exceed 50% of your income.

What is the best time to start saving for retirement?

It's best to start saving as early on in your career as you can, but no one has a time machine to go back and begin stashing away money earlier if they procrastinated a little longer than they should have.

What is the 50 30 20 rule for 401k?

Do not subtract other amounts that may be withheld or automatically deducted, like health insurance or retirement contributions. Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings.

What is a 9 out of 10?

A score of 9 out of 10 on your history quiz translates to a 90% score. In terms of letter grades, this typically equates to an A- or B+ depending on your school's grading scale, though this can vary. Generally, a score of 9 out of 10 is considered to be a high score and indicates a strong understanding of the material.

What is the rule of 7 by 7?

As discussed earlier, keeping presentations clear and engaging is the goal of the 7×7 rule. This means limiting each slide to around seven lines of text (excluding the title) with each line containing roughly seven words. This helps focus the audience on the main points.

What is the 7 by 10 rule?

A basic rule for easily predicting approximate future exposure rates is called the "7-10 Rule of Thumb." This rule, based on exposure rates determined by survey instruments, states that for every seven-fold increase in time after detonation of a nuclear device, there is a 10-fold decrease in the radiation exposure rate ...

What is the 80 20 spend rule?

According to this rule, 80% of overall value comes from 20% of the most important items. Procurement has embraced this principle to prioritise its purchases using three categories: A, B and C also named Tail spend. However, appearances can be deceptive.

What is a 70-15-15 budget?

70/15/15 Budget

With this budget rule, you'll spend 70% on needs, 15% on wants, and 15% on savings. This could work well for a family that has a lower income with a high cost of living.

Is saving 40% of your paycheck good?

Typically, financial experts recommend saving between 10% and 30% of your paycheck, with 20% being a good figure to aim for.

What's better than the 50/30/20 rule?

The 60/30/10 budgeting method says you should put 60% of your monthly income toward your needs, 30% towards your wants and 10% towards your savings. It's trending as an alternative to the longer-standing 50/30/20 method. Experts warn that putting just 10% of your income into savings may not be enough.

How much should I save if I make 70k a year?

Most experts recommend putting 10 to 15% of your income into a retirement account each year.

How much of take home pay for fun?

One way to gauge how much is the right amount to spend on fun is the 50/30/20 rule. According to this method, no more than 50% of your income, after taxes, should go toward needs; 30% of your income can go to things you want, including fun; 20% should go into savings.