Monthly Budget Calculator
Enter your income and expenses to get your budget grade, savings rate, and a personalised spending breakdown — all free, all instant.
Monthly Income
~R 7 700 estimated tax → net R 27 300
Monthly Expenses
Enter your actual or estimated monthly spend per category
Needs
R 24 200 (88.6% of income)Wants
R 4 208 (15.4% of income)Savings
R 5 000 (18.3% of income)Budget Grade
F
Deficit
You are spending more than you earn. Review your budget urgently.
Monthly Surplus
-R 6 108
22.4% of income
Savings Rate
18.3%
target: 20%+
Housing Ratio
31.1%
target: ≤30%
Debt Service Ratio
11.0%
target: ≤30%
50/30/20 Rule Analysis
R 24 200
R 4 208
R 5 000
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Full Category Breakdown
| Category | Group | Amount | % of Income | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Housing (Rent / Bond) | Needs | R 8 500 | 31.1% | ⚠️ |
| 🚗 Transport (Car, Petrol, Taxi) | Needs | R 4 500 | 16.5% | ⚠️ |
| 🛒 Groceries & Household | Needs | R 3 500 | 12.8% | ⚠️ |
| 💡 Utilities (Water, Elec, WiFi) | Needs | R 2 000 | 7.3% | ✅ |
| 🏥 Medical Aid / Health | Needs | R 1 500 | 5.5% | ⚠️ |
| 🛡️ Insurance (Car, Home, Life) | Needs | R 1 200 | 4.4% | ✅ |
| 💳 Debt Repayments (Loans, CC) | Needs | R 3 000 | 11.0% | 🔴 |
| 🎉 Entertainment & Dining Out | Wants | R 1 500 | 5.5% | ✅ |
| 👗 Clothing & Personal Care | Wants | R 800 | 2.9% | ✅ |
| 🎬 Netflix / Disney+ | Wants | R 169 | 0.6% | ✅ |
| 📺 DStv / Showmax | Wants | R 0 | 0.0% | — |
| 🍎 Apple (iCloud / TV+ / Music) | Wants | R 79 | 0.3% | ✅ |
| 🤖 Google (YouTube / Play Pass) | Wants | R 0 | 0.0% | — |
| 🎵 Spotify / Music Streaming | Wants | R 60 | 0.2% | ✅ |
| 📱 Other Subscriptions | Wants | R 100 | 0.4% | ✅ |
| 📚 Education & Children | Wants | R 1 000 | 3.7% | ✅ |
| 💰 Savings & Investments | Savings | R 3 000 | 11.0% | ✅ |
| 🧓 Retirement / RA / Pension | Savings | R 2 000 | 7.3% | ⚠️ |
| 📦 Other / Miscellaneous | Wants | R 500 | 1.8% | ✅ |
| Total Expenses | R 33 408 | 122.4% | 🔴 | |
| Surplus / Deficit | -R 6 108 | -22.4% | F |
Practical SA Budget Tips
Cap Housing at 30%
Bond or rent should not exceed 30% of your gross income. If it does, consider a smaller bond, a flatmate to share costs, or a cheaper area. South African banks already limit bonds to ~28% of gross income for this reason.
Debt Service Under 35%
All monthly debt repayments (bond, car, personal loans, credit cards) should total less than 35% of your net income — the NCA guideline. If you're above this, debt consolidation or negotiated settlements can help.
Save Before You Spend
Automate your savings on salary day. Transfer your savings amount to a separate account immediately. Saving whatever is "left over" at month end rarely works — most South Africans save less than 5% this way.
Transport: The Hidden Budget Killer
Total transport costs (car repayment + insurance + petrol + tolls) often exceed 20% of income. Consider carpooling, downsizing your vehicle, or using Gautrain/MyCiTi to dramatically cut this category.
Audit Subscriptions Annually
Streaming services, gym memberships, and app subscriptions accumulate silently. South Africans average 6–8 active subscriptions. An annual audit often finds R300–R800/month in unused services to cancel.
Groceries vs Dining: Track Separately
Lumping groceries and restaurants together hides overspending. Use your bank's spending categories or a free app like 22seven. Most households find dining spending is 2–3× what they estimated.
Budget Calculator FAQ
What is the 50/30/20 rule?
Allocate 50% of after-tax income to needs (rent, food, utilities), 30% to wants (entertainment, dining, hobbies), and 20% to savings and debt repayment. It's a flexible rule — not rigid law.
Should I use gross or net income for budgeting?
Budget from your net (take-home) income since that's what actually hits your bank account. Gross income is useful for comparing to NCA affordability benchmarks, which use gross figures.
My housing costs are over 30% — what should I do?
Options include: refinancing your bond to a lower rate, renting out a room, moving to a more affordable area, or increasing income. Short-term: cut discretionary spending to offset the over-allocation.
What savings rate do I need to retire comfortably?
Financial planners recommend saving 15–20% of gross income for retirement over a 35–40 year working life. If you started late, you need a higher rate. Use the Retirement Calculator to model your specific scenario.
What if I have irregular income?
Use your average over the last 3–6 months, or use your minimum (worst) month to build a conservative budget. Always keep 3–6 months of expenses as an emergency fund to absorb income volatility.
Related Calculators
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