Income
Total Monthly Income £0
Expenses
Total Monthly Expenses £0
Monthly Surplus
£0
After all expenses
Savings Rate
0%
Of gross income
Annual Surplus
£0
If consistent
Expenses Ratio
0%
Of income spent
Expense Breakdown

How to Use the Budget Planner

Add all your income sources (salary, freelance income, rental income, benefits), then list every regular monthly expense. The planner automatically calculates your surplus or deficit, savings rate, and shows which expenses take the biggest share of your income.

A common budgeting rule is the 50/30/20 rule: 50% of income on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings. While this isn't right for everyone, it's a useful starting point to benchmark against.

The 50/30/20 budgeting rule

The 50/30/20 rule divides your take-home pay into three categories: 50% for needs (rent, bills, groceries), 30% for wants (eating out, hobbies, subscriptions), and 20% for savings and debt repayment. It's a simple framework rather than a strict rule — your own priorities and cost of living may mean different splits work better. Use this planner to see how your current spending compares. If you want to track your overall financial position, the net worth tracker gives you the full picture.

Tracking annual expenses monthly

Many expenses don't arrive monthly — car insurance, home insurance, MOTs, and annual subscriptions are all easy to forget in a monthly budget. To account for them, divide the annual cost by 12 and enter it as a monthly line. This prevents budget surprises and helps you build a more accurate surplus figure. Once you know your monthly surplus, use the savings goal calculator to put that money to work.