What is the 70 20 10 budget formula?

Asked by: Prof. Alfredo Kerluke  |  Last update: February 27, 2026
Score: 5/5 (8 votes)

The 70-20-10 budget formula divides your after-tax income into three buckets: 70% for living expenses, 20% for savings and debt, and 10% for additional savings and donations. By allocating your available income into these three distinct categories, you can better manage your money on a daily basis.

Is 70/20/10 a good budget?

Yes, the 70 20 10 rule budget is beneficial for those looking for a balanced approach to managing their finances. It helps in saving for the future while also allocating funds for essential expenses and discretionary spending.

What is the 50/30/20 rule of money?

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.

What is the 30-40-30 rule?

Here's how it works: *30% goes to outstanding debt and catching up if needed - PAST. *40% goes to current living expenses, emergency fund, other needs and wants - PRESENT. *30% goes to saving for long-term goals, like homeownership, retirement, education and other large purchases - FUTURE.

What is the 70-10-10-10 budget rule?

This principle says for each dollar you earn or are given, you should save 10%, share 10%, invest 10% and spend 70%. A key part of this formula is “paying yourself first” which means the first 30% of your earnings are paid to you, for your benefit … for your retirement, for emergencies, and for sharing with others.

What Is The 70-20-10 Budget? | Clever Girl Finance

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What is the 70 20 10 budget rule example?

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.

How to budget $3,000 a month?

Here's an example: If you make $3,000 each month after taxes, $1,500 should go toward necessities, $900 for wants and $600 for savings and debt paydown. Find out how this budgeting approach applies to your money.

What is the 60 20 20 budget?

Other budgeting tips

We think the most realistic balance for most people is following 60/20/20 rule: 60 percent goes toward your fixed expenses, 20 percent goes toward savings goals and 20 percent is spent on discretionary items.

What is the 10 5 3 rule?

The 10,5,3 rule will assist you in determining your investment's average rate of return. Though mutual funds offer no guarantees, according to this law, long-term equity investments should yield 10% returns, whereas debt instruments should yield 5%. And the average rate of return on savings bank accounts is around 3%.

What is the 50 20 3o rule?

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. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals. Let's take a closer look at each category.

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.

What is the zero-based budgeting method?

The purpose of the zero-based budget analysis is to assess individual programs against their statutory responsibilities, purpose, cost to provide services, and outcomes achieved in order to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of the program and its activities.

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.

Is 70 20 10 outdated?

70-20-10 Is Good In Theory, But Nobody Does It

The 70-20-10 model is aspirational, but it's not being implemented. The Association for Talent Development concedes that on-the-job learning is difficult to track and measure.

What is the 80 10 10 budget?

The 80/10/10 budget is just one way this can be done! In this approach, like other popular budgets, 80% of income goes towards spendings, such as bills, groceries, or anything else needed. 10% of income goes directly into savings to ensure that money is added regularly. The last 10% of income goes to charity.

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.

What is the 100 age rule?

The "100 minus your age" rule is a longstanding rule-of-thumb that helps you allocate your portfolio between stocks and bonds based on your age. It's been around for decades and is popular for three main reasons: It simplifies asset allocation. It provides a basic risk management technique.

What is the 40/30/20 rule?

The 40/30/20/10 rule is a budgeting framework that separates what you earn into categories for spending your after-tax income: 40% for needs. The biggest category for most people is day-to-day needs. This includes housing, utilities, transportation, health care and groceries.

What is the 7 and 10 rule?

According to the past, the 7-10 rule of thumb could be a viable assumption for a well-managed diversified stock portfolio. The 7-10 rule states it takes 7 years for money to double at 10%, and 10 years to double at 7%.

What is the 80 20 budget method?

YOUR BUDGET

The 80/20 budget is a simpler version of it. Using the 80/20 budgeting method, 80% of your income goes toward monthly expenses and spending, while the other 20% goes toward savings and investments.

How much money should I save if I make 60k a year?

On a $60,000 salary, which roughly translates to $50,000 after taxes (depending on your location and tax rates), 60% would be about $30,000 per year, or $2,500 per month. Savings (20%): This portion should be allocated towards your savings, investments, emergency funds, or debt repayment.

What is the Dave Ramsey budget?

The formula is really simple: Monthly income minus monthly expenses = zero. If your monthly income is $5,000, you list $5,000 in expenses. If there is $200 left after listing expenses, find a place for it so your bottom line reads zero.

Can you live off $3,000 a month in retirement?

You can retire comfortably on $3,000 a month in retirement income by choosing to retire in a place with a cost of living that matches your financial resources. Housing cost is the key factor since it's both the largest component of retiree budgets and the household cost that varies most according to geography.

How can I save $5,000 in 3 months?

How To Save $5,000 in 3 Months
  1. Create a budget.
  2. Find ways to increase your income.
  3. Reduce expenses.
  4. Embrace savings challenges.
  5. Automate your savings.
  6. Track your progress.

What is zero cost budgeting?

Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) is a budgeting process that allocates funding based on program efficiency and necessity rather than budget history. 1 As opposed to traditional budgeting, no item is automatically included in the next budget.