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//// Financial · Budgeting

Are You Living Paycheck to Paycheck?

See your monthly surplus or deficit, savings rate, emergency runway, and 50/30/20 budget gap — with a ranked action plan to break the paycheck cycle.

401(k) Limit 2024$23,000
Roth IRA Limit$7,000
S&P 500 Avg Return~10%/yr

Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Here's exactly where the money goes and how to change it.

Your Monthly Numbers

$

Your paycheck after taxes and deductions (net pay)

$

Rent/mortgage, car payment, utilities, insurance, loan minimums

$

Food, dining out, subscriptions, entertainment, clothing, personal care

$

401k contributions, emergency fund, HYSA, brokerage deposits

Paycheck Score90/100

Healthy

Monthly Surplus

$1,000

Savings Rate

4.4%

Emergency Runway

0.1 mo/mo

50/30/20 Budget Check

Your allocation vs. recommended targets

Needs (Fixed)$2,200 (48.9%) vs target $2,250 (50.0%)
Wants (Variable)$1,100 (24.4%) vs target $1,350 (30.0%)
Savings$200 (4.4%) vs target $900 (20.0%)

Recommended Actions

1.

Increase savings to 10% of income

Builds emergency buffer and breaks the paycheck cycle

$250/mo redirected

1

Monthly Take-Home Pay

= $4,500

Your net pay after taxes, health insurance, and other payroll deductions.

2

Fixed Expenses

Rent + Car + Utilities + Insurance + Minimum Payments

$2,200

= $2,200

Non-negotiable monthly obligations you must pay regardless of circumstances.

3

Variable Expenses

Food + Fun + Subscriptions + Personal

$1,100

= $1,100

Discretionary spending — these are the most flexible line items.

4

Monthly Savings

= $200

Contributions to savings accounts, emergency fund, or investments.

5

Total Expenses

Fixed + Variable

$2,200 + $1,100

= $3,300

6

Monthly Surplus (or Deficit)

Take-Home − Total Expenses − Savings

$4,500 − $3,300 − $200

= $1,000

Positive surplus is unallocated cash — consider directing it to savings.

7

Savings Rate

Savings ÷ Take-Home

$200 ÷ $4,500

= 4.4%

Financial advisors recommend 10–20%. Under 5% makes breaking the paycheck cycle very difficult.

8

Emergency Runway

Monthly Savings ÷ Total Expenses

$200 ÷ $3,300

= 0.06 months added per month

At this savings rate, it takes this many months to accumulate 1 month of expenses. Target: 3–6 months total.

9

Paycheck-to-Paycheck Score

(Surplus% + Savings%) × 100

= 90/100 — Healthy

Scores below 40 indicate paycheck-to-paycheck living. Above 65 indicates financial stability.

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