What's your debt-to-income ratio? It's the number lenders check first.

DTI = monthly debt payments ÷ gross monthly income.
Example: $6,000/mo gross. Rent $1,600 + car $380 + student loan $250 + card minimums $120 = $2,350 → 39.2%.
Under 36% is good, 36-43% manageable, 43%+ is where many mortgage lenders get strict. Getting this one to 36% means cutting ~$190/mo of payments.

Free DTI calculator, any currency:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/debt-to-income-ratio-calculator/?utm_source=mastodon

#personalfinance #debt #budgeting #mortgage

How much car can you actually afford? The 20/4/10 rule: 20% down, 4-year loan max, payment + insurance under 10% of gross income.

$75k salary = $625/mo. Minus $150 insurance = $475 payment. At 7% over 48 months that's a ~$19,800 loan. With $8k down + trade-in: a car of about $25,800.
Stretch to 84 months and the same payment 'affords' $36,500, plus ~$5,500 more interest.

Free calculator, any currency:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/car-affordability-calculator/?utm_source=mastodon

#personalfinance #cars #budgeting #money

Rent or buy? Comparing rent with the mortgage payment misses most of it.

$400k home, 20% down, 6.5%: the mortgage is ~$2,023/mo, but with tax, insurance and upkeep owning costs ~$2,873/mo vs $2,200 rent.
If the renter invests the down payment and the difference, renting is ahead for 11 years; buying wins from year 12.

Free calculator with your own numbers:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/rent-vs-buy-calculator/?utm_source=mastodon

#personalfinance #housing #budgeting #rentvsbuy

Paying off a car loan early: what does an extra $100 a month actually save?

$18,000 left at 7.5% APR, paying $450/mo: 47 months, ~$2,778 interest.
+$100/mo: 37 months, ~$2,201. Saves ~$577 and 10 payments.
A one-time $2,000 now saves ~$627.

Free calculator, any currency, no signup:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/car-loan-payoff-calculator/?utm_source=mastodon

#personalfinance #debt #budgeting #carloan

Is a 0% balance transfer actually worth it? Quick math:

$6,000 at 24% APR, paying $300/mo: 26 months, ~$1,740 interest.
0% for 18 months, 3% fee: $180 fee + ~$30 interest on the $780 still owed when the promo ends. Saves ~$1,530.
Pay $343/mo and it's gone before the promo ends.

New free calculator, any currency, no signup:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/balance-transfer-calculator/?utm_source=mastodon

#personalfinance #debt #creditcards #budgeting

Balance transfer vs just paying it down, quick math:

$5,000 at 24% APR, paying $300/mo: about 20 months and ~$1,150 interest.
0% for 18 months with a 3% fee: $150 fee, and $300/mo clears it in ~17 months.

The catch: finish before the promo ends, put no new spending on that card, and check the fee and the rate after the promo. Can't commit to the payments? Calling your issuer to ask for a lower APR still helps.

#personalfinance #debt #creditcards

Holiday spending usually isn't one big gift. It's 7 categories that each look fine: gifts, food & hosting, travel, decorations, parties/outfits, giving, cards & postage.

Example: $1,200 season total, $300 already saved, 2 months left = $450/month, so it's all paid in cash and there's no January card bill.

Free calculator, any currency, no signup:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/holiday-budget-calculator/?utm_source=mastodon

#holidays #budgeting #personalfinance #frugal

Income that changes every month? Budget from your baseline, not your average.

Last 6 months: 4,100 / 5,200 / 3,900 / 4,600 / 6,100 / 4,000. Average 4,650, lowest 3,900.

Build the core budget on ~3,900. Extra goes to a buffer first (3+ months of essentials), then goals. Lean months are paid from the buffer.

Free calculator, any currency, no signup:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/irregular-income-budget-calculator/?utm_source=mastodon

#freelance #personalfinance #budgeting

We launched on IndieNeed today: Smart Budget Sheets Calculators, a set of free budget calculators (50/30/20, sinking funds, bill split for couples, irregular income, car cost, holiday budgets and more). No signup, works in any currency.

We'd really like feedback: what's confusing, what's missing, what calculator you'd want next.

Launch page: https://www.indieneed.com/products/smart-budget-sheets-calculators
Calculators: https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/?utm_source=mastodon

#personalfinance #budgeting #indiedev #buildinpublic

Splitting bills with a partner who earns a different amount? 50/50 isn't always fair.

Example: take-home 4,500 and 2,500, shared bills 3,000.
50/50: each pays 1,500, which is 33% of one paycheck and 60% of the other.
By income: 1,929 and 1,071, so both pay about 43%.

Compare both splits for your own numbers, any currency, free and no signup:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/bill-split-calculator-couples/?utm_source=mastodon

#personalfinance #budgeting #couples #money

What does a car really cost per month? Usually way more than the payment.

Example: $450 payment + $160 insurance + $180 fuel + $80 maintenance/tires + $25 registration and fees = $895 a month. At 1,000 miles a month that's about 90 cents a mile, before parking or tolls.

Run your own car (or compare two), free, no signup:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/car-cost-calculator/?utm_source=mastodon

#personalfinance #budgeting #cars #frugal

Thanksgiving is Nov 26. What does dinner actually cost?

Example for 12 guests: a 16 lb turkey at $1.80/lb is about $29, sides $45, pies $20, drinks $40. That's about $134, or $11 a guest. Ask guests to bring the sides and dessert and your share drops to about $69.

Plug in your own guest count and prices, free, no signup:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/thanksgiving-dinner-cost-calculator/?utm_source=mastodon

#Thanksgiving #Friendsgiving #budgeting #frugal

How big should your emergency fund be? Use essential costs, not your whole budget.

Rent, food, utilities, insurance, minimum debt payments: say $2,500/month. 3 months = $7,500, 6 months = $15,000. With $2,000 saved and $300/month, the 3-month goal is about 19 months away.

Free calculator, no signup:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/emergency-fund-calculator/?utm_source=mastodon

#emergencyfund #personalfinance #budgeting #savings

Subscription check in 10 minutes: open your bank app, list every recurring charge, and convert each one to a yearly cost. A $14.99/month app is $180 a year. Weekly and annual billing hide the real number.

Then mark keep or cancel and see what you'd save:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/subscription-cost-calculator/?utm_source=mastodon

#budgeting #frugal #personalfinance

Thinking about buying a home? The down payment is only part of the cash you need. Closing costs usually add 2-5%, and under 20% down you may pay PMI.

This free calculator shows the total cash needed, how many months until you get there, and what to save monthly for a target date:
https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/down-payment-calculator/

#personalfinance #homebuying #budgeting #savings

$5,000 on a credit card at 22% APR, paying $200 a month:

34 months and about $1,750 in interest.

Add $50 a month and you save roughly $460 and 8 months.
Add $100 and it's about $730 and 13 months.

The extra payment matters more than people expect. Run your own numbers, free, no signup: https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/credit-card-payoff-calculator/

#creditcard #debtfree #personalfinance #budgeting

Wedding budget math most couples skip: cost per guest.

$30,000 for 100 guests = $300 per guest.
Cut 20 guests and you free up roughly $6,000, more than most vendor haggling ever saves.

Then divide what's left to save by the months until the date, not by 'someday'.

Free wedding budget calculator, no signup: https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/wedding-budget-calculator/

#wedding #weddingplanning #budgeting #personalfinance

Saving for something by a deadline? Divide by paychecks, not months.

$3,000 in 10 months = $300/month
= about $138 per biweekly paycheck
= about $69 per weekly paycheck

The per-paycheck number is the one you can automate on payday.

Free savings goal calculator, no signup: https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/savings-goal-calculator/

#budgeting #personalfinance #savings #moneytips

How much rent can you afford? Three rules, three answers:

30% of gross: $60k/yr = $1,500
40x rent (landlord rule): also $1,500
50/30/20 needs cap: after utilities, groceries and a car payment, maybe $1,050

Use the strictest, then check what's left after savings.

Free calculator, no signup: https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/rent-affordability-calculator/

#budgeting #personalfinance #renting #moneytips

The Black Friday trap: a 40% discount on something you didn't plan to buy isn't saving 40%. It's spending 60%.

Before you shop, list items as need or want and set one cap. This free calculator shows real savings vs. wants spend: https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/black-friday-budget-calculator/

#BlackFriday #budgeting #personalfinance