How much should you budget for incidentals?


How much should you budget for incidentals? What this breaks down to, essentially, is allotting percentages of your anticipated monthly income into one of three categories: Essential Expenses (50% of monthly income) Savings/Debt Payment (20% or more of monthly income) Incidental Expenses (30% or less of monthly income)


Is the 30 rule outdated?

Your monthly income. If this number feels unrealistic in your housing market, that's because the 30% rule is actually pretty outdated—it originated in 1969, and hasn't been updated since. It also doesn't hold up at especially high or low income levels.


What is the 40 30 20 10 rule?

40% of your income goes towards your savings. 30% of your income goes towards necessary expenses (food, rent, bills, etc.). 20% of your income goes towards discretionary spending (entertainment, travel, etc.). 10% of your income goes towards contributory activities (donations, charity, tithe, etc.).