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

A graphic of origami of a dollar bill folded to look like a piggy bank with a penny on top.
Expect savings and money market account yields to slide lower, but they still should outpace inflation
IRS building
Taxes on CD interest aren’t always clear-cut. Here’s what you need to know.
signage outside the federal deposit insurance corporation headquarters
Worried about losing money held at a bank? Here’s what to know about FDIC insurance.
Businesswoman looking out window while seated at desk in office
The start of a new year is a great time to set financial intentions.
Pink piggy bank stuffed with dollar bills
Even as interest rates drop, some top-yielding savings accounts remain competitive.
A woman wearing a facemask enters a building where the Employment Development Department has its offices in Los Angeles, California on May 4, 2020, past a posted sign mentioning the closure of the offices's public access counters due to the coronavirus pandemic. - Dismal US employment figures are expected with the release Friday May 8 of figures for April's US jobs report, with 30 million Americans filing for unemployment in the last six weeks.
Overwhelmed state unemployment offices have left Americans without aid for weeks, if not longer.
Woman checks mail
The Internal Revenue Service is automatically sending $1,400 stimulus payments to about one million Americans who never claimed their COVID-19 relief checks from 2021, according to a recent announcement. [...]
Business man hand writing and signing white blank bank check book
We list seven ways to endorse a check and how to process it correctly and securely.
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.
Man watering plants
Interest is the price you pay to borrow money or the cost you charge to lend money.
Mature woman helps her daughter study for exam
High-yield savings rates fluctuate over time. Let’s explore what causes that.
Recession risks are rising. Learn six smart savings strategies to protect your money before it hits.
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.
Financial manager meeting with couple in bank branch office
Get the latest rates on top-yielding money market accounts.
Person using laptop computer at home
Split direct deposit is a simple way to painlessly boost your savings.
Money next to flashing sirens
Over 1 in 3 people tapped emergency savings in the past year, per a new Bankrate survey.
A student withdraws cash at an ATM.
There are ways to access your money and ultimately spend it. Here’s how.
The trusted provider of accurate rates and financial information
Wall Street Journal
Usa Today
New York Times
Cnn
Bloomberg
Abc