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

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.
Middle aged woman on laptop
Everything you need to know about opening an account.
Smiling man using a tablet
Take these steps to ensure you’re choosing a bank that fits your individual needs.
Man at laptop, deep in thought
Certificates of deposit offer peace of mind, but they’re not without some drawbacks.
Financial manager meeting with couple in bank branch office
Get the latest rates on top-yielding money market accounts.
A woman works on her laptop.
Here’s everything you need to know about savings accounts.
Illustration of Fed Chair Jerome Powell with a now hiring sign in the background.
The U.S. may dodge a recession, but experts aren’t denying it: Something feels off.
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.
Illustration of construction workers on a roof
An emergency fund is an essential part of a solid financial plan.
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.
Image of a piggy bank stuffed with dollars and an arrow behind it pointing to the right and going up.
$10,000 high-yield savings vs. $10,000 money market account: Here’s which earns more
A downward facing red arrow "crashing" trough a shattering $100 bill.
Worried that your high-yield savings APY isn’t so high? Here’s how to stay on top.
Person imagining a piggy bank made out of cash.
Ready to open a savings account? Here’s what you’ll need to know.
Artistic sketch of a businessman on a suspended platform looking down as the platform morphs into a downward arrow with a '%' symbol on its side.
As the Fed hints at lowering interest rates, here’s how to prepare when rates fall.
Easy mornings and working from home for this couple
Savings yields topping inflation could let you hold onto your purchasing power.
Close-up photo of the front of the Federal Reserve in Washington, DC, with the name "Federal Reserve" below the bust of the eagle.
The Fed has kept interest rates steady so far in 2025, but that might change soon.
Image & illustration by Bankrate
Competitive rates, fewer fees, and convenience are all reasons to consider online banking.
A woman holds a phone at an office
Savers can stash their cash in a brokerage these days to rack up returns.
The trusted provider of accurate rates and financial information
Wall Street Journal
Usa Today
New York Times
Cnn
Bloomberg
Abc