A budget template splits your income into categories with the amounts already worked out, so you don't have to invent how many you need or how much goes in each. There are four here: the 50/30/20 rule for the classic and simple approach, «My first budget» if you have never made one, «Tight month» when the pay barely covers things, and «Variable income» if you invoice for yourself. Type what you earn above and you'll see them with real money, no sign-up.
Last reviewed: August 3, 2026
Type what you earn and pick a split. These are the same ones Jacko sets up inside, with your numbers.
The classic method: half for what you need, a third for what you enjoy, the rest saved.
You can change any amount later.
Set up my month freeHalf your income for what you need, 30% for what you want and 20% for saving or paying down debt. It is the best-known split and the easiest to remember, which is why more people stick to it: three numbers that fit in your head.
Use it if: you want to start today without overthinking it, or detailed categories have overwhelmed you before.
Watch out: where rent eats more than half the pay, 50% doesn't work. «Tight month» fits better than forcing the percentages.
The six everyday ones —housing, food, transport, utilities, fun and saving— each with an amount. It is the step after 50/30/20, for when you want to see where the money goes and not just what's left.
Use it if: you have never budgeted and would rather be told how to start than face an empty sheet.
Watch out: six categories are six decisions a month. If you stop logging within a week, drop to 50/30/20 and come back later.
For when the pay barely covers things: essentials first, a small cushion, and no pretending there is room to save 20%. Same detail as «My first budget» with the priorities flipped.
Use it if: rent and food take most of it and what you need is not to run out before the month ends.
Watch out: a small cushion breaks with one surprise. When one shows up, trim the fun category rather than borrow.
For people who invoice for themselves: taxes set aside before anything else, plus a cushion for the thin months. It is the split no foreign app ships, because they assume a fixed salary that plenty of people here don't have.
Use it if: you work independently, earn a different amount each month, and taxes arrive all at once.
Watch out: base it on an average month, not your best one. Using a good month as the reference leaves the next three short.
Splitting income three ways: 50% to needs (housing, food, transport, utilities), 30% to wants and 20% to saving or debt. It caught on because it is easy to remember and doesn't require twenty categories. It works better as a starting point than as a strict rule.
The classic 20% is a target, not a minimum. If you save 0 today, moving to 5% already changes your year; jumping straight to 20% is what makes people quit in month two. What matters is that the number is sustainable, not that it is high.
Yes, with the variable-income split: set taxes aside first and base the split on an average month, not your best one. Using your best month as the reference leaves the next three short.
Not to see them with your amounts: type what you earn on this page and they appear worked out. An account is only needed if you want Jacko to create the categories and then track your spending against them.
Applying a template updates the amount of categories that already share a name instead of duplicating them, and leaves untouched anything the template doesn't mention. The screen tells you which ones will be updated before it happens.
All of them. The template solves the start —the part that makes people quit— and from there each category is yours. Change them in the app or just ask Jacko in the chat.
Create your free account and Jacko creates the categories with these amounts. Then log your spending by talking on WhatsApp, Telegram or the chat.
Start freeNo card. You can change any amount later.