Enter your take-home pay and your situation.
See where the next dollar goes, and why, in the order that actually matters.
Your numbers
If 20 percent feels impossible right now, start with 5 percent and automate an increase every time your income goes up. Even 50 dollars a month gets the habit in place.
Your situation
Usually a percentage of salary, not take-home. Check your plan.
Above roughly 7 percent, paying it down is a guaranteed return equal to the rate.
The split
A useful starting point, not a rigid rule. The 50/30/20 frame keeps needs, wants, and your future in view. The order matters more than the exact percentages.
Where your future money goes, in order
Your future money is $1,000 per month ($1,000 per paycheck). It flows to the first gate that is not finished yet. Completed gates hold a check. The active gate is lit.
A cash buffer of three to six months of essentials. This is insurance, not an investment.
Free money your employer adds when you contribute, common in a 401(k), RRSP, or workplace pension.
Balances above roughly 7 percent, above all a credit card near 20 percent.
If a 20 percent card is stressing you, clearing it before the match is defensible too. Both beat lifestyle spending.
Broad, low-cost, automated. Set it to happen on payday so it never depends on how you feel that week.
Everything after the first four is yours, guilt-free. Once the order above is handled, spending is a feature, not a leak.
The raise rule
When your income goes up, split the raise 60/40 before your spending adjusts. Sixty percent improves your life now, forty percent builds your future automatically.
Summary copied to your clipboard
This tool is educational. It turns the framework into your own numbers so you can see the order clearly. Your decisions are yours, ideally with a professional where it matters.
The number that decides it is not your income. It is the share you pay yourself first, every payday, automated.
Your money does not need to be perfect. It just needs instructions before it disappears.
Watch the full frameworkMost money advice starts with percentages. This one starts with order. When your pay lands, the question is not only how much to save, it is what the next dollar should do first. The Paycheck Splitter takes your take-home pay and routes your pay-yourself-first money through a five-step sequence, so you can see the priority instead of guessing at it.
A dollar aimed at the right place is worth far more than a dollar aimed at an average one. Capturing a full employer match can be an instant 50 to 100 percent return. Clearing a card at 20 percent is a guaranteed 20 percent saved. Neither shows up in a simple 50/30/20 split, because that split tells you how much, not where. The order is what turns a budget into a system.
One, a small emergency fund. Three to six months of essentials in cash. This is insurance, not an investment, and it stops one bad month from undoing everything else. Two, the employer match. Contribute enough to capture the full match, common in a 401(k), RRSP, or workplace pension. It is free money and it usually comes first. Three, high-interest debt. Anything above roughly 7 percent, above all a credit card near 20 percent. Paying it down is a guaranteed return equal to the rate. Four, invest for the long term. Broad, low-cost, automated, set to happen on payday. Five, life money. Everything after the first four is yours, guilt-free.
The classic split sends 50 percent to needs, 30 percent to wants, and 20 percent to your future. It is a useful starting point, not a rigid rule. On $5,000 a month that is $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000. If 20 percent feels out of reach, start at 5 percent and automate an increase every time your income goes up. The habit matters more than the number at the start.
When your income rises, split the raise before your lifestyle absorbs it. A simple rule is 60/40. On a $500 monthly raise that is $300 to enjoy now and $200 building your future, automatically. You feel the reward and still gain ground, which is what makes the habit stick.
What order should I put my paycheck in?
The order the video uses is: build a small emergency fund, capture any employer match, clear high-interest debt, invest for the long term, then spend the rest. The order matters more than the exact percentages. The percentages just decide how much.
Is the 50/30/20 rule still a good starting point?
It is a useful starting point, not a rigid rule. Fifty percent to needs, thirty to wants, twenty to your future gives most people a sane frame. If twenty percent feels impossible right now, start with five and automate an increase every time your income goes up.
Should I pay off debt or capture my employer match first?
Capturing a full employer match is often an instant fifty to one hundred percent return, so it usually comes first. If a card above roughly twenty percent is stressing you, clearing it before the match is defensible too. Both beat lifestyle spending.
What should I do with a raise?
A simple rule is sixty forty. Sixty percent of the raise improves your life now, forty percent goes to your future, automatically, before your spending adjusts. On a $500 monthly raise that is $300 to enjoy and $200 building your future.
Are my numbers saved or sent anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is saved, sent, or tracked. The copy button places a plain-text summary on your clipboard only when you choose.
Is this financial advice?
No. This tool is educational. It turns the video framework into your own numbers so you can see where the next dollar goes. The decisions are yours, ideally with a professional where it matters.