Enter your income and expenses by category to see your full monthly picture: total income, total expenses, your surplus or deficit, and your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio — the number lenders use to evaluate loan and mortgage applications.
This calculator gives you a complete monthly snapshot — not just a suggested split. Enter your actual income and expenses by category to see exactly where your money goes and whether you're running a surplus, a deficit, or right at breakeven.
Add up your income and your expenses by category. The calculator subtracts total expenses from total income to show your monthly surplus or deficit, and divides your minimum debt payments by your gross income to calculate your debt-to-income ratio.
Lenders use DTI to judge how much of your income is already committed to debt before approving a mortgage, auto loan, or credit line.
| DTI ratio | What it typically means |
|---|---|
| Under 20% | Manageable — well within typical lending guidelines |
| 20%–36% | Acceptable to most lenders, worth monitoring |
| 36%–43% | At the edge for many mortgage approvals |
| Over 43% | High — may limit loan or mortgage options |
Both tools use your income and expenses, but they answer different questions. This Budget Calculator gives you a full itemized snapshot — every category, your exact surplus or deficit, and your debt-to-income ratio for loan or mortgage planning. The 50/30/20 Budget Calculator instead tells you how to split your take-home pay going forward, using a simple needs/wants/savings ratio. Use this calculator to see where your money actually goes today; use the 50/30/20 calculator to set a target for where it should go tomorrow.
Use these related tools to act on your numbers — set a savings split, build an emergency fund, or attack debt faster.
Beelinger's Money Coach can help you turn your surplus, deficit, or DTI ratio into a concrete next step — and adjust it as your income or expenses change.
A budget calculator adds up your income and expenses by category to show whether you have a monthly surplus or deficit, giving you a complete, itemized picture of your finances rather than a single suggested ratio.
Most lenders view a DTI under 36% favorably, with under 20% considered very manageable. A DTI above 43% can limit mortgage and loan approval options, since it signals a large share of income is already committed to debt.
Gross income is your pay before taxes and deductions. Take-home pay is what actually lands in your bank account. This calculator uses gross income for the DTI ratio, since that's the standard lenders use, and take-home pay for your budget balance.
A deficit means your current spending isn't sustainable long-term. Start by reviewing your largest flexible categories — food, transportation, and personal spending are usually the fastest to adjust — before touching fixed costs like housing.
This calculator shows your actual, itemized income and expenses plus your debt-to-income ratio. The 50/30/20 calculator instead recommends a target split for your take-home pay going forward. Use this one to see where you stand today; use the 50/30/20 calculator to plan where your money should go next.