Zero-Based Budget Calculator
Give every dollar a job until the balance is zero.
Enter your values
Enter the monthly income in $.
Enter the housing in $.
Enter the food in $.
Enter the transport in $.
Enter the debt payments in $.
Enter the savings in $.
Enter the everything else in $.
Results update instantly as you type — no submit needed. Your values are remembered on this device, and the shareable link reopens the calculator with exactly these numbers.
- Unassigned
- $250.00 — assign it
- Total allocated
- $4,250.00
- Savings rate
- 15.56%
- Housing share
- 31.11%
Quick answer
A zero-based budget assigns every dollar of income to a category so income minus allocations equals zero.
income - all allocations = 0
At a glance
| What it does | Give every dollar a job until the balance is zero. |
|---|---|
| Category | Finance |
| Inputs needed | Monthly income, Housing, Food, Transport, Debt payments, Savings, Everything else |
| Main output | Unassigned |
| Formula | income - all allocations = 0 |
| Cost | Free — no sign-up, no download |
How to use the Zero-Based Budget Calculator
- 1Enter all income you expect this month.
- 2Allocate to each category, including savings as a line item.
- 3Adjust until unassigned reaches zero.
Inputs explained
- Monthly income($)
- Enter the monthly income in $.
- Housing($)
- Enter the housing in $.
- Food($)
- Enter the food in $.
- Transport($)
- Enter the transport in $.
- Debt payments($)
- Enter the debt payments in $.
- Savings($)
- Enter the savings in $.
- Everything else($)
- Enter the everything else in $.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Monthly income4500 $
- Housing1400 $
- Food600 $
- Transport400 $
- Debt payments350 $
- Savings700 $
- Everything else800 $
Results
- Unassigned$250.00 — assign it
- Total allocated$4,250.00
- Savings rate15.56%
- Housing share31.11%
Frequently asked questions
What about irregular income?
Budget on last month's actual income rather than a forecast.
Is leftover money bad?
Not bad, but unassigned money tends to get spent — send it to savings or debt.
What do I need to enter into the Zero-Based Budget Calculator?
Just 7 values: monthly income, housing, food, transport, debt payments, savings, everything else. Every field starts with a realistic example, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result update instantly.
How does the Zero-Based Budget Calculator work out the answer?
A zero-based budget assigns every dollar of income to a category so income minus allocations equals zero. It applies the formula income - all allocations = 0 and shows the working so you can check each step by hand.
Is the Zero-Based Budget Calculator free, and do I need an account?
It is completely free with no sign-up, no download and no usage limit. Everything is calculated in your browser, so the numbers you type never leave your device.
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.