The single best thing you can do for yourself financially is to make sure you live within your income, but there's no way you can be sure you're doing that unless you:
- Know what you are spending by category.
- Compare what you actually spend by category with a budget by category.
- Determine that budget based on your net income (which is your take-home income, after deductions are made for taxes, insurance, savings, etc.)
This calculator determines whether your spending is within or beyond your net income. To use it:
- In "Monthly Net Income" enter your monthly net income which is your income after all taxes and deductions have been taken out.
- Enter dollar values for every spending category. Place your spending within the individual categories in a way that makes the most sense to you, and be sure to include all your spending.
- Do not use any commas.
Look for the box called "Surplus or Deficit" at the bottom of the budget. If your Total Expenses are less than your Net Income, congratulations -- you're
running a "Surplus," and you could save even more!
If your Total Expenses are more than your Net Income, you have a "Deficit," and that's a problem. If this is the case, you need to cut back your spending wherever possible.