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

Jerome Powell at Fed meeting
Powell faced criticism from Democratic congressmen for his positive evaluation of the job market despite a period of slow pay gains.
Jerome Powell speaks at Federal Reserve
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivered a positive assessment of the U.S. economy that nonetheless faces some risks.
Federal Reserve building
Will the Federal Reserve raise borrowing costs two times in 2019, as it initially anticipated? That’s a question even the officials on the inside can’t answer.
Man relaxed smiling
It could save you time when switching accounts and even inspire you to build a bank of your own.
Man and woman walking past Wells Fargo in Manhattan
Are bank mistakes giving you a headache? Here’s what to do.
Chairman of the Federal Reserve nominee Jerome Powell is sworn in during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee
Learn all about Jerome Powell, who is presiding over his first FOMC policy meeting.
Dad and son doing dishes in kitchen | Hero Images/Getty Images
A new Bankrate survey also finds 1 in 4 Americans is open to buying a home in 2017.
In case of emergency, break emergency savings fund | Creative RF/Getty Images
1 in 4 Americans has no savings, our survey finds. Here’s how stashed cash can help.
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.
Man using cell phone in living room
It’s important to find the right accounts for your emergency savings.
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.
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.
Mature woman helps her daughter study for exam
High-yield savings rates fluctuate over time. Let’s explore what causes that.
woman, using laptop while working from home
The top high-yield savings accounts are currently earning APYs of 5 percent and greater.
A woman holds a phone at an office
Savers can stash their cash in a brokerage these days to rack up returns.
Man watering plants
Interest is the price you pay to borrow money or the cost you charge to lend money.
A little girl gets a vaccination.
Setting aside pretax dollars in an HSA can help you defray future medical costs.
Woman online banking with a tablet
How Reg. D impacts your savings account and why it pays to check with your bank.
Illustration of cash under a beach umbrella
Here’s how much $10,000 in a high-yield savings account can earn you.
The trusted provider of accurate rates and financial information
Wall Street Journal
Usa Today
New York Times
Cnn
Bloomberg
Abc