A simple way to split your monthly pay — 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings. Enter your take-home income to see the amounts.
Use net (after-EPF/tax) income — check the salary calculator if unsure.
Rent, food, transport, bills, minimum debt payments
Dining out, subscriptions, travel, shopping
Emergency fund, investing, extra debt repayment
It's a simple budgeting framework: put 50% of your take-home pay toward needs (rent, food, transport, bills), 30% toward wants (dining, subscriptions, travel), and 20% toward savings and extra debt repayment.
Use net — your actual take-home after EPF, SOCSO, EIS and tax. If you only know your gross salary, run it through the salary calculator first.
In higher-cost cities, needs often exceed 50%. That's fine as a starting point — the rule is a guide, not a law. Aim to keep the savings slice intact even if you trim wants to make room for essential needs.
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