Stop wondering where your salary vanishes by the 25th of every month. In an economy of rising inflation and high EMIs, financial clarity is your strongest asset. This Monthly Budget Planner is custom-built for Indian professionals to simplify personal finance. Using the golden 50/30/20 rule, we help you instantly balance your Needs (Rent, Groceries), Wants (Dining, Lifestyle), and Savings (SIPs, Insurance). Enter your details below to visualize your financial health in seconds.
Monthly Budget Planner 🇮🇳
Optimize your savings using the 50/30/20 rule tailored for Indian households.
1. Monthly Income (Post-Tax)
2. Needs (Essentials)
Target: 50%3. Wants (Lifestyle)
Target: 30%4. Savings & Investments
Target: 20%Your Financial Health
| Total Income | ₹0 |
| Total Expenses | ₹0 |
| Needs (50%) | 0% |
| Wants (30%) | 0% |
| Savings (20%) | 0% |
Your data is saved locally in your browser. We do not store your financial details.
Where Does Your Salary Go Every Month?
It is the most common question salaried professionals in India ask themselves around the 25th of every month: “Where did all the money go?”
Between rent (or home loan EMIs), grocery runs to DMart or Blinkit, utility bills, and the occasional weekend dinner, a ₹50,000 or ₹1 Lakh salary can vanish before you realize it. Without a plan, saving for the future feels impossible.
That is why we built this Monthly Expense Tracker & Budget Planner, specifically designed for the Indian economy. Unlike generic global calculators, this tool considers local financial realities—from SIPs and PPF to festival shopping and school fees.
How to Use This Budget Planner
This tool is designed for speed and privacy. We do not store your data on our servers. Everything happens in your browser.
- Enter Your Income: Input your “In-Hand” (post-tax) salary and any freelance or rental income.
- Fill in Essentials (Needs): Add your rent, EMI, groceries, electricity, and transport costs.
- Add Lifestyle Costs (Wants): Be honest here! Include dining out, movies, and shopping.
- Check Savings: Enter your SIPs, insurance premiums, and PPF contributions.
- Analyze & Print: Check the visual bar chart. If your “Needs” bar is red, you might be over-leveraged. You can also print the report or save it as a PDF for your records.
The Golden Rule of Personal Finance: 50/30/20
This tool is built upon the famous 50/30/20 Rule of budgeting, popularized by Elizabeth Warren, but adapted here for the Indian context.
1. Needs (50%) – Roti, Kapda, Makaan
These are expenses you cannot avoid. In India, this typically includes:
- Housing: Rent or Home Loan EMI.
- Utilities: Electricity, Water, Broadband, Gas cylinder/Pipe gas.
- Groceries: Daily essentials, milk, vegetables.
- Education: School fees are a major “Need” for Indian parents.
Goal: Keep this under 50% of your take-home pay. If your Rent/EMI alone is 40% of your income, you will struggle to save.
2. Wants (30%) – Lifestyle & Comfort
These are expenses that make life enjoyable but aren’t strictly necessary for survival.
- Entertainment: Netflix/Hotstar subscriptions, movie tickets.
- Dining: Swiggy/Zomato orders, weekend outings.
- Shopping: Gadgets, clothes during Amazon/Flipkart sales.
- Vacations: That trip to Goa or Ladakh.
Goal: Cap this at 30%. If you are overspending here, use the “24-Hour Rule”—wait 24 hours before buying anything expensive to see if you still want it.
3. Savings (20%) – Your Future Fund
This is the most critical bucket. It includes:
- Investments: SIPs in Mutual Funds, Stocks.
- Retirement: EPF (Employee Provident Fund), VPF, PPF.
- Security: Life Insurance (Term Plan) and Health Insurance.
- Emergency Fund: Money kept in a savings account or Liquid Fund.
Goal: Minimum 20%. If you are young and unmarried, try to push this to 40% or 50% to build a corpus early.
Why Use This Tool Instead of Excel?
While Excel is powerful, it is cumbersome to use on a mobile phone. Our Monthly Expense Tracker offers distinct advantages for the modern Indian user:
- 100% Private: Your financial data never leaves your device. It is safer than uploading your bank statement to third-party apps.
- Auto-Save Feature: Closed the tab by mistake? We use your browser’s local storage to remember your inputs so you don’t have to start over.
- Visual Feedback: The color-coded bars give you instant feedback on whether your financial health is “Healthy” (Green) or “Critical” (Red).
- Lightweight: No heavy apps to download. It works instantly on 2G/3G/4G/5G networks.
5 Practical Tips to Save More Money in India (2026)
1. Treat Savings as an Expense Don’t save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving. Set up an auto-debit for your SIP date on the 5th of every month, right after your salary hits.
2. Audit Your Subscriptions Do you need Netflix, Prime, Hotstar, and SonyLIV? Consolidate your subscriptions or share family plans to save ₹500-₹1000 monthly.
3. The “Latte Factor” (Chai Factor) Small daily expenses add up. A ₹200 daily coffee or snack adds up to ₹6,000 a month—that is ₹72,000 a year! You don’t have to stop living, but be aware of these leaks.
4. Use Credit Cards Wisely Credit cards offer great rewards, but if you only pay the “Minimum Due,” you fall into a debt trap with 36-42% interest rates. Always pay the full amount.
5. Review Your Insurance Ensure you have a pure Term Insurance plan (high cover, low premium) rather than ULIPs or Endowment plans that mix insurance with investment. This frees up cash flow for better-return investments like Mutual Funds.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Got questions about managing your monthly budget in India? We have assembled frequently asked questions to help you get the most out of this tracker. From understanding the 50/30/20 rule to handling irregular income, find quick answers below to master your finances with confidence.
Is 20% savings enough in India?
20% is a great starting point. However, given the rising inflation (especially in healthcare and education), aiming for 30% is recommended if you live in a Tier-1 city like Mumbai, Bangalore, or Delhi.
Does this tool calculate tax?
No. This tool is a Budget Planner, not an Income Tax calculator. Please enter your “Take Home” (Net) Salary after all tax deductions for accurate budgeting.
Can I use this for a joint family budget?
Absolutely. Simply combine the total income of all earning members in the “Income” field and list total household expenses to get a family-level view of your finances.
I am a freelancer with variable income. How should I use this?
For freelancers, we recommend entering your average monthly income over the last 6 months in the “Take Home Salary” field. During high-income months, put the excess directly into the “Savings” bucket to cover for lean months.
My “Needs” are over 60%. What should I do?
High fixed costs are common in metro cities due to rent. To fix this, look for “Needs” that are actually “Wants”—for example, an unlimited data plan you rarely use or ordering groceries via quick-commerce apps which often charge a premium. If Rent is the issue, consider if moving to a slightly cheaper area is feasible.
Is this budget planner free to use forever?
Yes, this tool is 100% free. There are no hidden charges, paywalls, or subscription fees.
Disclaimer: This tool provides general financial estimates based on the inputs provided. It does not constitute professional financial advice. For specific investment decisions, please consult a SEBI-registered investment advisor.
