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.

Envelope budgeting

Zero-based budget

Create a home budget

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.

Essential reading

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.

Explore banking products:

CDs Savings Accounts MMAs Checking Accounts

Latest articles

Solo woman traveler on street holding a map

Here’s how multicurrency accounts work and who may want to consider one.

Financial manager meeting with couple in bank branch office

Get the latest rates on top-yielding money market accounts.

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.

Woman watering plants.

Check out the latest CD rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of banks and thrifts.

Illustration of Fed Chair Jerome Powell and money

The odds of a downturn jumped the most since 2022.

Whimsical artwork of four piggy banks standing atop of four stacks of coins, gradually increasing in height

If you’re looking to save with a credit union, here are the top rates available.

Piggy bank with cash overflowing

Walk away with stacks of cash just for opening a checking or savings account.

Young professional man working on a laptop in a cozy space with coffee

Being scammed can have devastating effects on your finances. Here’s how to stop it.

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.

family playing board game

Here are the top old-school money ideas that can still help you save this year.

Father and son counting and organizing money (presumably the child's savings)

If you want to get a leg up on parenthood, consider these moves.

woman cleaning her house

Clearing out a dusty closet or dank basement can yield moneymaking treasures for resale.

family on vacation in south carolina

The right savings strategy could put that family vacation within reach.

Man using tablet in coffee shop

Inflation can eat away at your purchasing power, if you’re not keeping up with it.

image of laptop with cash as background with key illustration

Online banks offer higher APYs and lower fees than brick-and-mortar and are safe.

couple in front of house with shape illustrations

These simple steps will help you get the homebuying process underway.

couple in front of house with shape illustrations

These simple steps will help you get the homebuying process underway.

The trusted provider of accurate rates and financial information