Calculator

Weekly budget builder

Give every dollar a job. Enter your weekly take-home income, set each spending category, and see in real time whether you end the week within budget or overspent — plus how much you could move into savings. Inputs stay on your device; nothing is sent anywhere.

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Take-home means after income tax, KiwiSaver and ACC — the money that actually reaches your bank account each week.

Weekly spending categories

Toggle a category off (the switch) to exclude it for a moment, or drag the slider — the amount field stays in sync.

Amount left over each week
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0% of income spent100%
Weekly income
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after tax
Total spending
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active categories
Left over
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Suggested savings

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Common questions

Weekly budget questions, answered

What is the 50/30/20 rule in New Zealand?

The 50/30/20 rule splits your take-home (after-tax) income into 50% for needs like housing, food and bills, 30% for wants like spending money, and 20% for savings and debt repayments. You can adjust the split to suit your cost of living — the point is to assign every dollar a job so you don't overspend.

How much of my income should I save each week?

A widely used starting target is saving 20% of your take-home income, which you can steer into an emergency fund, KiwiSaver, mortgage offset or term deposits. If 20% is too much right now, start smaller — the habit matters more than the number.

How do I make a weekly budget?

Start with your weekly take-home income, then list every category that spends money — housing, food and groceries, transport, utilities, insurance, debt, savings and spending money. Assign a weekly amount to each with this builder, then check whether income minus spending leaves you a surplus or a shortfall.

How much should I budget for groceries each week in NZ?

A single adult in New Zealand typically spends between $120 and $180 a week on groceries depending on diet and location, with households spending more. Your personal figure depends on where you live and how much you cook from scratch, so set a number you can actually stick to.