Start free50/30/20 rule

50/30/20 rule calculator

Enter your take-home income and split your budget in a second: 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings. Compare it with what you spend today and see where to adjust. Free and no sign-up.

Budget

Split your salary with the 50/30/20 rule

We work out the ideal split of your take-home income and, if you tell us what you spend today, we show you the distance to the 20% savings mark.

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The theoretical split and yours rarely match

The rule tells you how you should split your salary. mPF shows you how you actually split it, categorising your spending on its own, and where the percentage you thought was going to savings ends up.

See my real split in the appRead the monthly budget guide

Gratis y sin tarjeta. Se abre en el navegador — también está en iPhone y Android.

01

What the 50/30/20 rule is

It's the simplest way to organise a budget: put half your take-home income to needs (housing, food, utilities, transport), 30% to wants (leisure, subscriptions, purchases you could cut) and 20% to savings or clearing debt. It was popularised by US senator Elizabeth Warren and it works because it doesn't ask you to log every cent: just to watch three figures.

  • 50% needs: what you can't stop paying
  • 30% wants: what you choose to pay
  • 20% savings: your future self (or your debts first)
02

How to apply it without going mad

Start from your real take-home income (what lands in your account). Classify your fixed costs as needs or wants honestly: the gym membership is a want; electricity is a need. If your needs go over 50% — common in Spain because of housing costs — that's fine: the point is to know your starting position and shift the split little by little, not to hit it in the first month.

  • Use take-home income, not gross
  • Classify honestly: if you can live without it, it's a want
  • If 50% falls short, start by cutting from the 30%
03

From the theoretical split to your real money

The calculator gives you the target; the hard part is knowing how much you really spend in each block. mPF connects your accounts, classifies your spending automatically and shows you your real 50/30/20 every month, with no spreadsheets.

  • Your spending classified automatically
  • Your real percentage of needs, wants and savings
  • Alerts when a block runs away

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a need and what as a want?

A need is what you can't stop paying without serious consequences: housing, utilities, food, transport to work, compulsory insurance and minimum debt payments. A want is everything you choose: restaurants, subscriptions, leisure, non-essential clothes. The quick test: if stopping it only annoys you (and doesn't create a problem), it's a want.

What if I don't reach 20% savings?

That's normal at the start. Use the calculator to see your real distance to the target and cut from the wants block first, which is the flexible one. Saving 5% consistently is worth more than a 20% you abandon in the second month; raise the percentage once the habit settles.

Does the rule work with housing prices in Spain?

In many cities rent alone eats more than 50%. The rule still works as a compass: if your needs are at 65%, your realistic split might be 65/20/15. What matters is that saving has a fixed, automatic percentage, even if it starts small.

Does the 20% go to savings or to paying debts?

If you have high-interest debt (cards, quick loans), put the 20% towards clearing it first: few investments return more than no longer paying a 20% APR. Keep only a small cushion for surprises in the meantime. We walk through it step by step in the guide to getting out of debt.

Would you rather start gently?

We'll send you the Financial Order Kit as a PDF: the templates and the checklist to get your accounts in order at your own pace. Free, and without signing up for anything.

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