What is the 50/30/20 rule for rent?

Asked by: Danny McCullough MD  |  Last update: June 12, 2025
Score: 4.3/5 (2 votes)

Try the 50/30/20 rule The rule entails spending 50% of your monthly income on essential expenses such as rent, monthly bills, and groceries, spending 30% on non-essential purchases such as going out to eat, and putting 20% into your savings account.

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 much salary to afford $1500 rent?

According to this rule, multiply gross monthly income by 0.30 to find the maximum affordable rent. For example, if gross monthly income is $5,000, maximum rent would be $1,500 (5,000 x 0.30 = 1,500).

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).

How much of your income should go towards your rent in the 50 30 20 rule for personal finance?

The 30% guideline is one way to look at rent as part of your income. You can also use the 50/30/20 budget as a guide to figure out how much you can afford to spend on rent. This method allocates your take-home pay (after taxes) to 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and additional debt payments.

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

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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 do you need to make to afford $1-200 rent?

The 30% rule says that no more than 30% of your monthly gross income should go toward your rent. According to this rule, if you make $4,000 a month, you should spend no more than $1,200 per month on rent. Sticking to the 30% rule helps ensure you have enough money left over to save or put toward other expenses.

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.

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.

What does a 50-30-20 budget look like?

One of the most common types of percentage-based budgets is the 50/30/20 rule. The idea is to divide your income into three categories, spending 50% on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings.

Can I afford $1,000 a month rent?

Here's an idea of the ideal rent for different salaries based on the 30% rule: If you make $30,000 a year, you can afford to spend $750 a month on rent. If you make $40,000 a year, you can afford to spend $1,000 a month on rent. If you make $50,000 a year, you can afford to spend $1,250 a month on rent.

How strict is the 3X rent rule?

The rule suggests that your rent should not exceed one-third of your gross monthly income, providing a practical way for both renters and landlords to assess affordability. For example, if you have a gross monthly income of $5,000, the 3X rent rule means you should aim for rent around $1,666 or less.

How to afford $3,000 rent?

30 Percent Rule

Following the 30% rule, your monthly gross income to rent ratio should look something like this: You must make $10,000 per month to afford a $3,000 monthly rent. You must make $6,667 per month to afford a $2,000 monthly rent. You must make $5,000 per month to afford a $1,500 monthly rent.

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%.

How much should rent be of income?

It is recommended that you spend 30% of your monthly income on rent at maximum, and to consider all the factors involved in your budget, including additional rental costs like renters insurance or your initial security deposit.

Where doesn't the 50/30/20 rule work?

It doesn't help you pay off debt faster.

It combines both saving and extra debt payments to make up only 20% of your overall budget. That's not enough if you really want to make a dent in your debt! And if you've got debt, you shouldn't be spending 30% of your money on things you don't need anyway.

Which budget rule is best?

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 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 the 15x15x15 rule?

What is the 15-15-15 rule in mutual funds? The rule says that an investor can create a corpus of around one crore rupees by investing Rs. 15,000 per month for 15 years in a mutual fund that can generate 15% average returns based on the power of compounding.

Can you live comfortably on $1,000 a month?

Living on $1,000 per month is a challenge. From the high costs of housing, transportation and food, plus trying to keep your bills to a minimum, it would be difficult for anyone living alone to make this work. But with some creativity, roommates and strategy, you might be able to pull it off.

How much should a 72 year old retire with?

Financial experts generally recommend saving anywhere from $1 million to $2 million for retirement. If you consider an average retirement savings of $426,000 for those in the 65 to 74-year-old range, the numbers obviously don't match up.

What is a livable monthly wage?

A living wage is a socially acceptable level of income that provides adequate coverage for basic necessities such as food, shelter, child services, and healthcare. The living wage standard allows for no more than 30% of income to be spent on rent or a mortgage and is sufficiently higher than the poverty level.

How much should my rent be if I make $15 an hour?

Spending around 30% of your income on rent is the golden rule when you're trying to figure out how much you can afford to pay. Spending 30% of your income on rent can help you reach a healthy balance between comfort and affordability.

Can I afford $1500 rent?

How much should I make to Afford $1500 Rent? Let's say you've got your eye on a cool place that costs $1,500 a month. You want to stick to the 30% rule, so let's do the math: $1,500 / 0.30 = $5,000. That's your target monthly income.

What is 3 times the rent of $1400?

The 3 times the rent of $1400 is $4200.