budgeting tools
Great Online Household Budgeting Tools!
Knowing how to use the money that you have takes skill…and knowledge. Since having a balanced budget is the key to making ends meet I thought that you should have access to all of the tools to make that budget as well as save for the future.
Start Here: The Financial Fitness Quiz (Personal Mvelopes)
Answering this quiz will give you a very good idea about how you’ve been doing with your budget so far. For some, this will be a real eye-opener. Fear not, however, for all the tools you need to get fit fast are included below.
Budget Calculator (Kiplinger)
Simply, the name says it all.
Personal Finance Calculator (Genus.org)
Another basic but effective budgeting tool.
The Budget Calculator (Personal Mvelopes)
A more complex budget calculator that helps you learn how much you are spending in different categories and then shows a comparison of your speding to the national average.
Hardcore: The Zero Based Budget (RateState.com)
RateState put together a free “zero based budget” excel sheet which you can use to get a handle on your personal finances. The idea behind it is that every single dollar you earn will get allocated to a specific category. There is no money sloshing around, you have total mastery over all of your money.
Irregular Payments Budget Calculator (Crown Financial Ministries)
This calculator will convert your non-monthly payments into their monthly equivalents, and then provide you with a total. This total will represent how much you will need to set aside each month in order to make your non-monthly payments as they come due.
Should my spouse work, too? (Bankrate.com)
Two-income families are becoming the norm. But are two paychecks worth it? Not always. Child-care costs, transportation, work clothes and take-out meals all add up. Enter your numbers into our calculator see what makes sense for you.
Real Hourly Wage Calculator (Inforeferral.com)
So your boss told you that you were getting paid $10 an hour? Don’t believe it! This calculator will show you how much you’re REALLY profiting (after-tax, after work-related-expense takehome) from each hour you devote to working — both paid and unpaid.
Salary Calculator (Homefair)
As with the cost of living, salaries vary by geography. Use this tool to find the median salary for a given job in a given location.
How Far Will My Salary Go in Another City? (CNN Money)
Thinking about moving? See how much you should earn to maintain the same lifestyle.
Rent vs. Buy Calculator (Move.com)
This calculator will help you to compare the costs of renting to the costs of buying a home. Since there are all kinds of forces at work behind the scenes (interest, property taxes, tax savings, appreciation, opportunity costs, closing costs, selling costs, etc.), comparing the cost of renting to the cost of buying is a lot more complicated than just comparing the monthly mortgage payment to the monthly rent payment. At times like this when the market is renter-friendly, this calculator is really worth a look.
Car Payment Calculator (Autoextra.com)
Can you afford your dream car? Choosing a car within your budget can be difficult to do.
Mortgage Payment Calculator (Homefair)
The mortgage payment calculator determines your payments for a particular loan. If you request an amortization table, you will also see how quickly your loan balance is paid off.
Mortgage Affordability Calculator (Homefair)
Are you ready to purchase a home for the first time? Can you afford a mortgage payment? The Mortgage Affordability Calculator will help you estimate a home loan amount that you can afford based on the amounts entered in the fields below: income, debt, down payment, etc. After you have established a dollar range that you can afford, find out which loan is right for you.
How Much House Can You Afford? (CNN Money)
Tell us how much you make, how much you’ve got for a downpayment, and your debt, and find out how far to stretch when home hunting.
Huge Collection of Mortage Calculators (MtgProfessor.com)
There’s even a calculator to calculate which calculator to use.
Tuition Savings Calculator (MSN Money)
This tool helps determine how much and for how long you need to save to pay for kids school tuition.
The Savings Calculator (MSN Money)
How much can you save in a year? This calculator walks you through the steps needed to reach your goal or to determine how much you can save.
When Will You Be a Millionaire? (CNN Money)
Tell this calculator how much you have, how long you will save and at what rate, and find out when your nest egg will hit 7 figures.
