What is the 80 20 rule of thumb for budgeting?

Asked by: Miss Holly Bartoletti  |  Last update: January 28, 2026
Score: 4.5/5 (13 votes)

The 80/20 rule breaks out putting 20% of your income toward savings (paying yourself) and 80% toward everything else. Once you've adjusted to that 20% or a number you're comfortable with saving, set up automatic payments to ensure you stick to it.

What is the 70-10-10-10 rule for money?

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 80/20 rule in simple terms?

The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. In other words, a small percentage of causes have an outsized effect. This concept is important to understand because it can help you identify which initiatives to prioritize so you can make the most impact.

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 80/20 rule budget?

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.

Why The 80/20 Rule Could Be Better For Your Budget | Clever Girl Finance

22 related questions found

What is the 60 40 budget rule?

Save 20% of your income and spend the remaining 80% on everything else. 60/40. Allocate 60% of your income for fixed expenses like your rent or mortgage and 40% for variable expenses like groceries, entertainment and travel.

What is the 80 20 mindset?

Key Takeaways. The 80-20 rule maintains that 80% of outcomes comes from 20% of causes. The 80-20 rule prioritizes the 20% of factors that will produce the best results. A principle of the 80-20 rule is to identify an entity's best assets and use them efficiently to create maximum value.

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 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 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 are the flaws of the 80-20 rule?

In project management, this principle may suggest that 80% of the project's success comes from 20% of the project tasks. However, this approach can be flawed as it may overlook the importance of other project tasks that may not fall within the 20% threshold but still significantly impact the project's success.

What is the 80/20 rule for decluttering?

The 80/20 rule states that we use and wear 20% of our things about 80% of the time. I know in my own life, I often wear my favorite few articles of clothing on a very regular basis while so many other items go unworn month after month.

What is the 80-20 rule in relationships?

The 80/20 Principle—also known as the Pareto Principle—posits that a small number of key behaviors, interactions or emotional investments are responsible for the majority of our happiness and fulfillment. In other words, not every moment in a relationship is equal.

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 cash rule of 72?

What is the Rule of 72? Here's how it works: Divide 72 by your expected annual interest rate (as a percentage, not a decimal). The answer is roughly the number of years it will take for your money to double. For example, if your investment earns 4 percent a year, it would take about 72 / 4 = 18 years to double.

How to budget aggressively?

Tips for Building an Aggressive Savings Plan
  1. Paying Yourself First. ...
  2. Getting Out of Debt. ...
  3. Tracking All of Your Spending. ...
  4. Utilizing a Budgeting Method. ...
  5. Cutting Down Expenses. ...
  6. Opening a High-Yield Savings Account. ...
  7. Starting a Side Hustle. ...
  8. Avoiding Eating Out at Restaurants.

Can you live with $5,000 dollars a month?

Outside the most expensive parts of the United States, $5,000 per month is typically enough to cover rent or mortgage payments and other lifestyle expenses if you're mindful of your budget.

How to save $1 000 in 3 months?

Set a clear timeline

Breaking down the amount you need to save in shorter intervals can help you make concrete changes to your monthly budget and make the end goal more tangible. If you wanted to save $1,000 in three months, for example, you'd need to save roughly $84 per week.

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.

What is the 60/20/20 rule?

If you have a large amount of debt that you need to pay off, you can modify your percentage-based budget and follow the 60/20/20 rule. Put 60% of your income towards your needs (including debts), 20% towards your wants, and 20% towards your savings.

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.

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 80-20 rule for dummies?

This rule suggests that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. For example, 80% of a company's revenue may come from 20% of its customers, or 80% of a person's productivity may come from 20% of their work. This principle can be applied to many areas, including productivity for small business owners.

What is the 80/20 lifestyle plan?

80% healthy, whole foods, and 20% for fun, less-nutritious treats. The key is consistency over time, not perfection at every meal. So, if one day you have a pizza, no big deal—just aim to get back on track with your next meal.