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.
Woman using a calculator and examining financial documents
Understanding discretionary income can help you with your budgeting strategy.
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

Dollar sign balloon being blown up by a pump on a green background with an arrow pointing down to the right
How to find the best high-yield savings account in times of high inflation
Financial manager meeting with couple in bank branch office
Get the latest rates on top-yielding money market accounts.
Woman watering plants.
Check out the latest CD rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of banks and thrifts.
Image of the back of a man in a suit standing in front of a large line graph that is on top of a half shredded U.S. Dollar.
Stagflation is an economic “super villain,” bringing high inflation and unemployment.
Woman reaching in to the air for cash
Prices rise and fall all the time in the U.S. economy. It’s not always inflation.
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.
Side view of father cooking food while daughter having apple in kitchen
These simple moves can help you build a cash cushion.
Image of Jerome Powell and Donald Trump side by side above the Federal Reserve building.
Lower rates won’t fix trade uncertainty, and credit could still be tight.
Person shopping at grocery store choosing oranges in the supermarket
Monthly budgets are popular because many expenses, such as rent and bills, occur monthly.
Man using cell phone in living room
It’s important to find the right accounts for your emergency savings.
Illustration of construction workers on a roof
An emergency fund is an essential part of a solid financial plan.
Mother and daughter shopping for vegetables
These simple moves can help you build a cash cushion.
Calendar of 2023
Use this challenge to stash more cash toward your savings goals.
illustration of money growing on trees
Here’s a helpful guide to how much you need in savings over the course of your life.
young woman smiling on city sidewalk
Creating a timeline is a useful way to plan and meet all your financial goals.
Mechanic uses force to unlock bolt
Rainy day and emergency funds differ but together provide a sound financial plan.
Post-pandemic financial checklist
Before making this your own version of the roaring ’20s, here’s what you may want to consider.
Close up of Treasury Department stimulus check
Those taxpayers could potentially see thousands of extra dollars when they file for the Recovery Rebate Credit.
Illustration of Capitol Hill rotunda and coronavirus stimulus checks
Most plan to spend their stimulus funds on necessities, not on shopping, dining or traveling.
Young student works on college campus using her laptop
For the first time, adult dependents are eligible for a coronavirus stimulus check.
Father helps son with his homework
Experts warn the IRS may be hard-pressed to send out checks starting in July.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference about the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill.
All federal coronavirus unemployment programs are set to be extended through Sept. 6.
A person passes a closed storefront in Patchogue, New York
Billions of dollars worth of wrongful unemployment payments have been paid out during the pandemic.
A woman lounges on the beach.
Here’s how these funds can help you achieve your goals.
The trusted provider of accurate rates and financial information
Wall Street Journal
Usa Today
New York Times
Cnn
Bloomberg
Abc