Finding Balance: Using the 50/30/20 Rule to Stop the Budgeting Struggle

Summary:

I have developed unhealthy financial habits due to being too strict with my budgeting goals. The 50/30/20 rule is the budgeting method that I will use to get me out of this mess and conquer my financial goals and I will show you how to apply it for yourself. 

Introduction:

Johnny was a young guy who swiped his credit card wherever he went. 

Swipe. Swipe. Swipe.

He watched finance videos and listened to finance podcasts. He learned about budgeting and heard the warnings—be too strict, and you’ll end up overspending later. But Johnny thought he was different.

Swipe. Swipe. Swipe.

He made a budget and stuck to it. He saved aggressively and invested as much as he could. But in doing so, he left himself with too little money for everyday expenses. The result? He had to rely on his credit card to get by, paying it off each paycheck only to repeat the cycle.

Swipe. Swipe. Swipe.

The damage:

Although my situation is unique, I bet you’ve experienced something similar—being overly ambitious with budgeting, only to feel guilty when spending money or falling into debt. For me, this cycle lasted 3–4 years.

My breaking point came when I wanted to buy headlights for my car—a hobby that brings me joy—but I felt guilty about spending $100. That was my wake-up call. I realized that budgeting shouldn’t make me feel deprived; it should help me find balance. That’s when I turned to the 50/30/20 rule to fix my approach to money.

I no longer want to feel guilty for spending money on the things that bring me joy. I no longer want to be forced to survive on credit cards just to meet the imaginary ideals of “saving and investing a lot.”

Throughout my financial journey, I have continued to be presented with the 50/30/20 rule.

What is the 50/30/20 rule?

The 50/30/20 rule is a simple way to allocate your after-tax income:

50% for needs – Essential expenses like rent, groceries, and bills

30% for wants – Hobbies, dining out, and entertainment

20% for savings – Emergency funds, retirement, and investments

You make sure each of your dollars is put towards one of the three categories. This ensures you are investing for success while enjoying your dollars right now. Of course, this rule is too simple for anomalies like those with extremely high or low incomes. But this is just a starting point.

It is important to distinguish common expenses that go towards each of the categories. Here are some examples of each:

Expenses:

Groceries

Rent

Bills

Paying down debt

Wants:

Eating out

Supplies for hobbies

Relationship Gifts

Experiences and Travel

Savings:

Emergency fund

College fund for child

Saving for home

Retirement Savings

Investing

My edits and Challenges:

My main priority is maxing out my Roth IRA. So, every paycheck, the first thing I do is withdraw $100 into my brokerage account and invest in VOO. After that, I apply the 50/30/20 rule to the remaining money.

Since I’m a college student with a lower income, my expenses often exceed 50%. To stay realistic, I’m cutting unnecessary costs where I can while keeping my budget flexible. Additionally, I will:

Keep a $500 emergency fund in my debit account

Reserve $196 for monthly auto-withdrawn expenses (insurance, subscriptions, etc.)

Use cash for all other spending to better track expenses

Applying the 50/30/20 Rule to My Latest Paycheck:

I recently received a paycheck of $896, and here’s how I applied the 50/30/20 rule:

50% Needs: $448 (food, books, bills, insurance, gas)

30% Wants: $269 (entertainment, dining out)

20% Savings/Investments: $179 (Roth IRA, emergency fund, investing in VOO)

This approach ensures that I’m setting aside money for my future while also covering my daily needs and allowing myself to enjoy life without guilt. It’s a shift from my previous all-or-nothing mindset, and I already feel a greater sense of financial control.

Financial and life Goals:

I’d like to accomplish some financial and life goals over the next 6 months using this method.

1. Save 6 months of expenses for an emergency fund
2. Save for insurance down payment (coming in April)
3. Save for Christmas, holidays, birthdays, and events
4. Save for new wheels for my car
5. Not feel guilty when I follow my budget

Final Thoughts

Budgeting isn’t about deprivation—it’s about balance. The 50/30/20 rule is helping me shift my mindset from an all-or-nothing approach to a sustainable, guilt-free way of managing money.

I’ll be updating my budget monthly and sharing lessons learned along the way. If you’ve struggled with budgeting before, I encourage you to try this method and adjust it to fit your needs. Let’s build a financial plan that works for real life!