Free calculator
Monthly Budget Calculator
Type what you take home and how often it comes, then your bills, spending and savings. The calculator turns every paycheck into a monthly amount and shows the dollars left to plan. Free, no sign-up.
- Paycheck 1 per month$0
- Paycheck 2 per month$0
- Other income$0
- Take-home income$0
- Bills, 0%$0
- Everyday spending with yearly costs, 0%$0
- Savings and extra debt, 0%$0
- Planned out each month$0
- Left to plan$0
How it works
A budget only works in one unit, so every paycheck is turned into a monthly amount first. Weekly pay comes 52 times a year, so a month holds 52 / 12 of it. Every 2 weeks comes 26 times a year, so a month holds 26 / 12, a bit more than 2. Twice a month is exactly 2, every 3 months is a third, and yearly is a twelfth.
Yearly costs such as a car registration are spread across the year: the full amount divided by 12 joins everyday spending, so the month the bill arrives is already paid for.
Planned out each month is bills plus everyday spending plus savings and extra debt payments. Left to plan is take-home income minus planned out. A positive number is money with no job yet; a negative one means the plan spends more than comes in. Each line also shows its share of take-home pay.
A worked example
The Budget Planner Spreadsheet's example is a made-up two-earner household. Paycheck 1 is $1,950 every 2 weeks, which is $4,225 a month. Paycheck 2 is $1,400 twice a month, $2,800, and side income adds $250, so take-home is $7,275 a month. Bills come to $3,049 (42% of take-home), everyday spending to $2,325 plus a $240 yearly car registration, which is $20 a month, and savings and extra debt payments to $950. Planned out is $6,344, which leaves $931 a month to plan. Change paycheck 1 to Twice a month and the left-to-plan figure drops by $325, because 26 pay days a year bring two more paychecks than 24.
Track the month you planned
The Budget Planner Spreadsheet for Excel and Google Sheets holds every paycheck, bill, spending line and savings goal, then shows each month against its plan with Over plan flagged in words and your bills in due-date order. It has a Setup tab, an Actuals tab, a Month view, a Year view, a filled-in example and a blank copy. $2.99, instant download.
Questions
How do I budget when I am paid every 2 weeks?
Multiply one paycheck by 26 and divide by 12. That is your monthly income, a little more than two paychecks. Two months a year hold a third paycheck; budgeting on the monthly figure spreads it across the year instead of spending it twice.
Should I use take-home pay or gross pay?
Take-home pay, the amount that reaches your bank after tax, insurance and retirement deductions. That is the money you can actually plan.
What goes in bills and what goes in everyday spending?
Bills are fixed amounts with a due date: rent or mortgage, car payment, insurance, utilities, phone, internet and loan payments. Everyday spending changes month to month: groceries, gas, eating out, household items, kids, pets and fun.
What should I do with the money left to plan?
Give it a job before the month starts: more in savings, an extra debt payment or a line you left out. A plan where every dollar has a job is often called a zero-based budget.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is a planning estimate from the numbers you type. Your bank statements and pay stubs show what really comes in and goes out.