Calculator
Zero-Based Budget Calculator
Assign every dollar of take-home income to a specific job before the month starts. Use the leftover number to see whether your plan is balanced, still has money to assign, or is trying to do too much.
Monthly Zero-Based Assignment
Start with take-home income, then give every dollar a job.
Use the amount that actually lands in the account after taxes and payroll deductions.
The tool normalizes this into a monthly planning number.
Required bills
Housing, utilities, insurance, childcare, minimum debt payments, and other must-pay costs.
$2,350
Assigned / 52%
Flexible spending
Groceries, gas, dining, subscriptions, personal spending, and categories you can adjust.
$1,000
Assigned / 22%
Sinking funds
Known irregular costs like car repairs, annual premiums, holidays, travel, or home maintenance.
$350
Assigned / 8%
Savings & debt
Emergency fund, retirement, extra debt payoff, investing, and other future-focused moves.
$650
Assigned / 14%
Giving & other
Giving, school costs, family support, personal buffer, or anything that still needs a job.
$150
Assigned / 3%
How to use this tool
Use this as a monthly assignment check before the month starts, then adjust the plan as real bills and spending come in.
1
Start with take-home income
Use the amount that actually lands in the account after taxes, payroll deductions, benefit premiums, and retirement contributions.
2
Assign the month before it happens
Give required bills, flexible spending, irregular expenses, savings, debt payoff, and other priorities a planned dollar amount.
3
Resolve the leftover number
Unassigned money needs a job. Overassigned money means the plan needs to be trimmed, delayed, or rebuilt before the month starts.
About this tool
What this helps you do
This calculator turns zero-based budgeting into a monthly assignment check: every dollar of take-home income is either assigned, still unassigned, or overcommitted.
How it differs from 50/30/20
The 50/30/20 calculator compares your plan with broad percentage targets. This tool focuses on whether the actual month has a job for every dollar.
Limitations
This tool is educational only. It does not sync bank accounts, predict every irregular cost, or replace tax, debt, investment, or financial planning advice.