About the free budget calculator
What is a budget calculator?
A budget calculator adds up what comes in, adds up what goes out and shows you the difference. That single number, what is left at the end of the month, is the most important fact in your personal finances, and many people have never actually calculated it. Without it, spending decisions are guesswork. With it, you can answer questions such as “can I afford this?”, “how much can I save?” and “where does my money go?”.
This free budget calculator lets you choose your currency, enter each source of monthly income and list your expenses under categories you can rename or extend. It then shows your total income, total spending, the amount remaining and your savings rate, updating as you type. You can print the summary or download it as CSV. It runs in your browser with no sign-up.
The numbers it gives you
- Total income: the sum of every income line you enter, such as salary, side income and benefits.
- Total expenses: the sum of your spending lines across all categories.
- Remaining: income minus expenses. A positive figure is money you can save or assign. A negative figure means you spend more than you earn.
- Savings rate: the remaining amount as a percentage of income. It shows how much of each pound, dollar or euro you keep.
How to use the budget calculator
Start with income. Use take-home pay, meaning what actually reaches your account after tax, not the headline figure. If your income varies, use a cautious average of recent months. Then work through your expenses. Go through your bank statements or card app for the last two or three months so you include irregular items such as subscriptions, annual fees and gifts, not just rent and groceries.
Rename categories to match your life. A category called “Pet costs” is more useful than a generic “Miscellaneous” if you have a dog. Add lines for anything missing. Amounts are treated as monthly, so convert annual costs by dividing by twelve. Negative entries are ignored.
Common expense categories to check
- Housing: rent or mortgage, council tax or property tax, home insurance, repairs.
- Utilities: electricity, gas, water, internet, phone.
- Food: groceries and eating out, listed separately so you can see each one.
- Transport: fuel, public transport, parking, car insurance, maintenance.
- Health: insurance, prescriptions, dental, gym.
- Debt repayments: credit cards, loans, hire purchase.
- Subscriptions and leisure: streaming, apps, hobbies, holidays.
- Savings and giving: regular transfers and donations.
What to do with the result
If you have money remaining, decide where it goes before the month starts: an emergency fund, a savings goal or extra debt payments. The savings goal calculator tells you what regular amount a target needs, and the debt payoff calculator shows how extra payments shorten a repayment. If your remaining figure is negative, look first at the largest and most flexible lines. Cutting a small subscription helps, but reducing a big category by ten per cent usually matters more.
When you want to plan categories in advance and compare against reality, the free budget planner adds planned and actual columns. If you prefer a simple needs, wants and savings split, see the monthly budget planner.
How accurate is it?
The calculator is exact arithmetic on the numbers you enter, so the quality of the result depends on the quality of your inputs. Underestimating small and irregular spending is the most common source of error. A useful trick is to track real spending for a month and compare it to your estimate. The calculator shows its working next to the result rather than hiding it, so you can check the maths yourself.
A quick worked example
Imagine monthly take-home income of 2,800, made up of 2,500 salary and 300 from a side job. Expenses add up to 2,350: rent 1,100, utilities 180, groceries 400, transport 150, subscriptions 60, eating out 200 and the rest across smaller lines. The calculator shows 450 remaining and a savings rate of about 16 per cent. That figure is a decision point. You can assign the 450 to an emergency fund, split it with a debt payment or look for savings in the largest lines first. Without the calculation the 450 would probably have disappeared into everyday spending.
Print, CSV and privacy
Print the summary for a financial conversation with a partner or advisor, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog. Download CSV to open in a spreadsheet, or use the budget spreadsheet template if you want a file with formulas built in. Your figures are processed in your browser and are never sent to Just Plann. Saving is optional through the “Remember on this device” tick box.
Budget calculator FAQ
Which currency does it use? You can choose your currency at the top. It only changes the symbol and formatting; no conversion is done.
Is this financial advice? No. It is a calculation tool for general information. For personal advice, speak to a qualified professional.
How often should I budget? Monthly is typical. Review at the start of each month and adjust when income or costs change.
Find your number
Enter your income and your biggest expenses first. In a few minutes you will know what is left each month, which is the starting point for every other financial decision.