Budget Grader

Paste your budget — get an instant grade and your biggest improvement opportunity

How to Use

Format: Category, Frequency, Amount (tab, comma, or space separated)

Example:

Salary    Monthly    5000
Rent    Monthly    1500
Car Insurance    Quarterly    450
Groceries    Monthly    600
Savings    Monthly    400

Prefer a Spreadsheet?

Download the free one-page budget template and fill it in directly.

Download Budget Template (.xlsx)

Paste Your Budget Here

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my budget is healthy?

A healthy budget typically follows the 50/30/20 guideline: about 50% of take-home pay on needs (rent, food, utilities), 30% on wants (dining, entertainment, subscriptions), and 20% on savings and debt repayment. The Budget Grader evaluates your actual numbers against these benchmarks and flags the categories that are out of balance.

What is a good savings rate?

Financial experts generally recommend saving at least 15-20% of gross income for retirement. If you are behind on retirement savings, 20-25% is a better target. If you are early in your career or have high-interest debt, even 10% consistently is a strong starting point. The Budget Grader scores your savings rate and tells you exactly where you stand.

What should my housing costs be?

The traditional rule is that housing costs (rent or mortgage, including utilities) should not exceed 28-30% of gross monthly income. In high cost-of-living areas many people exceed this, which then squeezes every other budget category. The Budget Grader flags housing as a concern when it crosses 35% of your total monthly outflow.

How do I make my budget work?

The biggest budgeting mistake is building a perfect budget and never reviewing it. The second biggest is too many categories — complexity kills follow-through. The most effective budgets track 5-8 categories, are reviewed monthly, and are adjusted when life changes. The Budget Grader gives you a grade and specific suggestions, not a lecture.