80/20 — Pay Yourself First
80% living, 20% saving/investing
Best for: Simple automation and getting started quickly.
Take the 20% off the top, then live on the remainder guilt-free.
Allocations: 80% Living Expenses, 20% Savings & Investing
Paycheck Planner
Paycheck budget calculator
Free Paycheck Budget Planner — Build Pay Yourself First or Zero-Based Plans in Minutes
Plan every paycheck with a clear breakdown of income, savings, bills, and spending. This free tool helps you apply pay-yourself-first or zero-based budgeting to each paycheck, create and save multiple plans, and see exactly where your money is going without creating an account.
Choose pay-yourself-first budgeting, a zero-based approach, or simple envelope-style categories, then save every paycheck plan in your browser so you can duplicate it for a new period, rename it, or compare plans side by side without losing data.
Features
- Create and save multiple paycheck plans
- Use pay-yourself-first or zero-based budgeting styles
- Break down income into savings, debt, bills, sinking funds, and flexible spending
- See real-time totals and charts that update as you type
- Works with biweekly, monthly, and irregular income
- Saved locally in your browser using IndexedDB for offline use
- No login or account required
- Supports multiple currencies
Loading the interactive paycheck planner…
How to plan each paycheck
Follow these steps to build a resilient, zero-based paycheck plan in five minutes.
- 1
Capture take-home pay
Start by adding the exact amount that will hit your account this period. Tie it to a nickname (for example "Biweekly Paycheck 3") so you can compare plans side by side.
- 2
Pay yourself first
Select a template such as the 80/20 or Anti-Budget to prefill the calculator, then fine-tune the categories. The planner makes this step simple and keeps the math accurate for you.
- 3
Plan bills and buffers
Layer in recurring bills, sinking funds, and buffers for upcoming trips or renewals. The tool totals everything instantly so you know whether you are over or under.
- 4
Inspect the charts
Finish by reading the allocation charts to ensure essentials, goals, and fun money are balanced. Adjust categories until the visualization matches your ideal paycheck budget calculator target.
Paycheck planner FAQs
Answering the top questions people ask before trusting a paycheck planner.
Can I save more than one paycheck plan?
Yes. You can create and save multiple paycheck plans in your browser and switch between them at any time. Each plan keeps its own categories and allocations, so you can set up different plans for different pay periods or income patterns.
Where is my data stored?
All of your plans are stored locally in your browser using IndexedDB. Nothing is sent to a server, and you do not need to create an account to keep planning.
What happens if I clear my browser data or switch devices?
Clearing your browser storage or using a different device will remove your saved plans because they live only in your original browser. Copy key numbers somewhere safe before wiping your data.
Does this work for biweekly or irregular income?
Create a plan dedicated to your freelance or gig payouts so you can capture the highs and lows. Use a buffer category to smooth out leaner weeks and adjust category amounts as needed. The planner keeps each plan separate, so you can stash overflow into a "next paycheck" buffer.
How the Paycheck Planner works
The tool starts with your take-home pay so you never budget money you have not actually received yet. As you enter income, the calculator suggests savings-first targets inspired by pay yourself first budgeting. Select a preset template or build your own mix of categories, then duplicate the plan for your next paycheck. The progress cards and charts update instantly, so you can see your remaining amount, categories over budget, and flexible spending at a glance.
Each plan is stored locally in your browser, and the plan manager lets you create, rename, duplicate, or delete plans as your pay periods change. Switch between plans without losing data and keep offline access because everything stays on your device.
Paycheck Budgeting Templates
Templates give you a starting point for your paycheck plan. Load a pay-yourself-first model, a 50/30/20 split, or another structure, then customise the categories and amounts for your own situation. You can reuse these templates across different plans for different paychecks.
70/20/10
70% living, 20% saving, 10% debt or giving
Best for: Keeping a give/debt bucket while still saving meaningfully.
Allocations: 70% Living Needs, 20% Savings & Investing, 10% Debt or Giving
60% Solution
60% committed costs, five 10% buckets for savings and lifestyle
Best for: Households with high fixed costs who still want balance.
Allocations: 60% Committed Costs, 10% Short-Term Savings, 10% Long-Term Savings, 10% Fun Money, 10% Irregular Expenses
30/30/30/10
30% housing, 30% needs, 30% goals, 10% wants
Best for: Aggressive payoff or saving without losing all fun.
Allocations: 30% Housing, 30% Other Needs, 30% Financial Goals, 10% Wants
Tips for bi-weekly, gig, or irregular income
Freelancers and shift workers rarely experience identical paychecks, so the planner layers buffers and templates to keep you grounded. Label each plan with the gig, stash overflow into a "next paycheck" buffer, and use the charts to confirm that essential categories stay above your comfort threshold even when tips slow down.
If your income changes from paycheck to paycheck, start with a template that matches your priorities and adjust the income line for each new plan. Keep a small buffer category so you can smooth out leaner weeks without missing essentials.
You can create separate plans for different types of income, such as your main salary, side-gig work, or seasonal overtime. Each plan stores its own allocations, so you can switch between them when your income changes.
Why Budget Every Paycheck Instead of Just Monthly?
Many people are paid weekly or biweekly, while their bills and everyday spending follow the rhythm of each paycheck rather than the calendar month. Budgeting every paycheck keeps your timing aligned so the money for rent, food, and transport is already assigned when it lands.
A paycheck-based plan also works better for irregular income. Instead of guessing at a monthly average, you build a simple plan each time you get paid and adjust the variable categories. Over time, this makes it easier to stay out of overdrafts and stop living paycheck to paycheck.
Whether you are on a salary, hourly wages, or a mix of side gigs, a paycheck budget turns each payday into a chance to move closer to your goals with clear, intentional choices.