Skip to Main Content

Budgeting basics

A budget is a spending plan that helps you understand how much money you're making and where you're spending it. A budget is the cornerstone of a strong financial plan.

Budgeting tips

A couple budgets together.
Bankrate offers 18 ideas for stretching your budget to save money.
Young man working on finances at home. He has a laptop open and is using a calculator.
If your discretionary income is low, you could pay $0 on your federal student loans.
Woman sitting on a sofa looking at her laptop
Our guide tackles the basics of disposable income and how you can use it to budget.

Calculate your savings

Use our Savings Calculator to help you quickly and accurately estimate the growth of your investment. Set a goal and figure out how much you need to save each month to hit the mark.

Latest articles

Jerome Powell speaking at podium
Fed officials are warning interest rates could rise higher than previously expected.
A group of graduates
Several types of saving accounts are available to help your child pay for college.
two women discussing finances
Supporting Black-owned banks can help economically empower an underserved community.
A cashier at a supermarket rings up a customer's items.
Low joblessness isn’t the only indicator of a healthy labor market.
Facade of the Marriner S. Eccles building of the United States Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C.
The complicated nature of the Fed’s job can perpetuate some wild claims.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell speaks to journalists at a post-meeting news conference
Fed officials will have decide how much of a slowdown they want to see before calling it quits on rate hikes.
Federal Reserve Headquarters building
The Fed’s job is often to make the difficult choice between low unemployment or low inflation.
People walk past the New York Stock Exchange
Recessions bring discomfort at best — and financial pain at worst.
Illustration of construction workers on a roof
An emergency fund is an essential part of a solid financial plan.
Man using cell phone in living room
It’s important to find the right accounts for your emergency savings.
Person shopping at grocery store choosing oranges in the supermarket
Monthly budgets are popular because many expenses, such as rent and bills, occur monthly.
Rainy day and emergency funds differ but together provide a sound financial plan.
illustration of money growing on trees
Here’s a helpful guide to how much you need in savings over the course of your life.
Calendar of 2023
Use this challenge to stash more cash toward your savings goals.
young woman smiling on city sidewalk
Creating a timeline is a useful way to plan and meet all your financial goals.
Young woman using a laptop with credit card while relaxing at home
Financial goals are measuring sticks that apply to any area of your money management skills that you’re looking to improve.
A majority (81%) of Americans did not increase their emergency savings this year
Here’s how to boost your savings.
Person imagining a piggy bank made out of cash.
Ready to open a savings account? Here’s what you’ll need to know.
Illustration of construction workers on a roof
An emergency fund is an essential part of a solid financial plan.
Woman working with business document and laptop on the table
It’s a low interest rate environment, but there are ways to earn more on your money.
Woman sitting outside of restaurant looking at cell phone
Getting into the habit of paying yourself first is hard. Here are some ideas to help you start.
Illustration of an old-fashioned physical bank branch and a mobile phone.
Keeping your savings in a bank down the street may seem like the obvious play, but there may be real downsides for doing so.
Whimsical illustration of a hand putting a quarter into a miniature but realistic high end safe. As if it were a piggy bank
Comparing savings rates can ensure you get the best return on your savings.
The trusted provider of accurate rates and financial information
Wall Street Journal
Usa Today
New York Times
Cnn
Bloomberg
Abc