Monthly Budget Planner — Are You Saving Enough?
Enter your take-home salary and monthly expenses — get a budget health score, see which categories are over-limit, and find exactly where to cut to save ₹5,000–₹15,000 more every month. No account needed.
Budget Planning FAQ
What is the 50-30-20 rule and does it work in India?
The 50-30-20 rule says: 50% on needs (rent, food, EMIs, transport), 30% on wants (entertainment, dining out, subscriptions), 20% on savings/investments. In Indian metros, rent alone can be 30–40% of take-home — making the rule harder to follow. A more realistic Indian version: keep EMIs + rent under 45%, savings at 15–20% minimum, and be ruthless about cutting food delivery and subscriptions.
How much should I keep as emergency fund?
6 months of your total monthly expenses — not your salary. If you spend ₹45,000/month, your emergency fund target is ₹2.7L. Keep this in a liquid instrument: savings account (6–7% at some banks) or liquid mutual fund. Don't count this as investments — this is your financial safety net for job loss, medical emergency, or unexpected bills.
Is spending ₹3,000–₹6,000 on Swiggy/Zomato too much?
At ₹60,000 take-home, ₹6,000 on food delivery = 10% of income — that's roughly 2 months of potential savings lost per year. The real shock: ₹6,000/month = ₹72,000/year = ₹7.2L over 10 years with compounding. The fix isn't to never order food — it's to set a ₹2,500 hard limit per month and use your grocery budget for the rest.
Should I pay off loans or invest the surplus?
Compare interest rates. Personal loan at 14%: guaranteed 14% return by prepaying — beats any debt mutual fund. Home loan at 8.5% with tax benefit (net ~6%): investing in equity MF at 12% beats it. Rule of thumb: prepay any unsecured loan (personal, credit card) above 12% interest before investing. Keep home loan if tax benefit makes effective rate < 7%.
Why is my 'savings' number misleading?
What's left after expenses isn't really savings until it's deployed. ₹10,000 sitting in a savings account at 3.5% is actually losing value to inflation. True savings = money that's working: EPF, PPF, ELSS, or equity MF SIP. 'Savings' that stay in current account as emergency float are fine — but anything above 2 months expenses in a current account is wasted opportunity.