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

Young Asian woman using smartphone while relaxing on armchair, checking her bank account via online banking and managing her finances. Online personal banking. Wealth management. Digital banking habits. Smart banking with technology
Here’s how to determine what a good interest rate is on your deposit accounts.
man using his cell phone
Here’s a convenient way for Apple device users to transfer money between friends and family.
Bankrate writer Karen Bennett and editor Marc Wojno pose in a selfie at the Money 20/20 conference in Las Vegas.
Banks are working to keep customers safe through AI apps and human interaction.
A young woman works from her laptop.
Balancing your checking account may sound dated, but it still makes sense.
A middle-aged asian woman in blue jeans sitting on the bed in a yoga pose in front of a laptop. Remote work at home. Online shopping in quarantine period
Banks are offering rates up to three times higher than average as the Fed cuts back.
Senior couple having problem with fraud while online shopping with credit cart using laptop computer
New J.D. Power survey reveals sizable number of bank customers experienced fraud.
A young girl visits a doctor.
Confused about finding an HSA? Use these tips to determine the best deal for you.
Fed chair Jerome Powell makes a speech
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the second consecutive meeting but this time by a smaller quarter of a percentage point.
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