Budget Planner UK – Monthly Budget Calculator
Plan your monthly income, expenses, savings, and financial goals in one place.
Monthly Income
Essential Expenses
Lifestyle Expenses
Debt & Loan Payments
Savings & Investments
Total Income
Total Expenses
Total Debt Payments
Total Savings
Remaining Balance
Savings Rate
Expense Ratio
Debt Ratio
Recommended Savings
Budget Health
Expense Breakdown
Maintain steady financial discipline and increase savings gradually.
Most budgets go wrong because of the things people forget, not the big bills. This planner has a box for nearly everything that leaves a typical UK household’s account each month, from council tax to Buy Now Pay Later, so you end up with a fuller picture than a quick tally in your head. Fill in what applies, leave the rest blank, and it shows what’s left over, your savings rate and how much of your income goes on debt. You can export the result as a CSV or print it.
Getting the numbers right
Use take-home pay, not salary; if you’re not sure what that is, the Take Home Pay Calculator will tell you. For spending, go through your last two or three bank statements rather than guessing. It’s tedious, but it’s the step that makes the budget useful.
Costs that don’t come monthly are the ones that catch people out: car servicing, the MOT, insurance renewals, Christmas and birthdays, school trips. Take the yearly total, divide by 12 and include it. If you’re paid irregularly, as many freelancers are, budget on a low month rather than an average one.
What the results mean
Remaining balance is income minus everything else: essentials, lifestyle spending, debt payments and savings. Positive means you have room; negative means you’re spending more than comes in.
Savings rate is savings as a share of income. The planner suggests 20% as a target, but 10% is a solid start if you’re building up from nothing.
Debt ratio is debt repayments as a share of income. If it’s creeping over a fifth of what comes in, it’s worth looking at a plan to clear the most expensive debt first; the Debt Repayment Calculator compares the two usual approaches.
Expense ratio counts everything going out, including savings, so a figure close to 100% simply means every pound has a job.
Two examples
A single person bringing home £3,000 a month, with £1,200 of essentials, £500 of lifestyle spending, £300 of debt payments and £400 going into savings, has £600 unallocated. That £600 is worth giving a purpose; money left in a current account tends to get spent.
A family on £5,500 a month with £2,500 of essentials, £900 of lifestyle costs, £700 of debt payments and £800 of savings also ends up with £600 spare. Their savings rate is about 15% and their debt ratio about 13%.
The 50/30/20 rule
It’s a simple way to split take-home pay: half on needs, 30% on wants and 20% on savings and paying off debt.
| Share | What it covers | On £2,500 a month |
|---|---|---|
| 50% needs | Rent or mortgage, council tax, energy, food, transport, insurance, minimum debt payments | £1,250 |
| 30% wants | Eating out, subscriptions, holidays, hobbies, shopping | £750 |
| 20% savings and debt | Emergency fund, pension top-ups, ISA, overpaying debts | £500 |
In this planner, Essential Expenses are your needs, Lifestyle Expenses are your wants, and Savings plus any extra debt repayments make up the 20%. Housing costs are high enough in much of the UK that 60/20/20 or even 70/20/10 is more realistic for a lot of people. The exact split matters less than saving something every month.
How much should you save?
Around 20% of take-home pay is a good target, but the order you save in matters more than the amount:
- An emergency fund covering three to six months of essential costs, in an easy-access account.
- Clearing expensive debt, especially credit cards; the Credit Card Repayment Calculator shows how long it would take.
- Longer-term goals and investing, through an ISA or pension. The Savings Calculator shows what regular saving adds up to.
How much should rent take?
A common rule of thumb is no more than about 30% of take-home pay, so around £750 on £2,500 a month. In London and many cities that’s not realistic, and plenty of people pay more. If you do, check the rest of the budget still works: put your rent in and see what’s left.
When costs go up
If energy, food or your mortgage rate goes up, change those figures and see how the remaining balance moves. The usual ways to close a gap are checking you’re on the best energy tariff and broadband deal, cancelling subscriptions you’ve stopped using, switching to own-brand groceries and planning meals, and checking whether you’re entitled to benefits with the Universal Credit Calculator. If the gap is big or growing, free debt advice from MoneyHelper, StepChange or Citizens Advice is worth getting early.
Questions people ask
What is the 50/30/20 budget rule?
It splits take-home pay into 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and debt repayment. On £2,500 a month that’s £1,250, £750 and £500.
How much should I save each month in the UK?
Around 20% of take-home pay if you can, starting with an emergency fund of three to six months of essential costs.
How much of my salary should go on rent?
A common guideline is up to about 30% of take-home pay, though many people in London and other cities pay more.
What if my expenses are more than my income?
The planner will show a negative balance. Start with the biggest flexible costs, and if debt is part of the problem, speak to a free debt advice service.
Can I save my budget?
Yes. Use Export CSV to download it, or Print Report for a paper copy.
Related: Take Home Pay Calculator · Debt Repayment Calculator · Savings Calculator