Notes:

• Monthly Income
  This is the amount of money you expect to bring in each month
• Rent / Housing
  This is your expected monthly rent or housing cost
• Additional Expenses (Necessary Things)
  This includes required monthly costs, such as food, phone, transportation, insurance, utilities, or other basic needs
• Other Expenses (Optional Things)
  This includes flexible spending, such as entertainment, subscriptions, shopping, eating out, or other non-essential costs
• Potential Future Expenses
  This lets you test future costs you may want to prepare for, such as a pet, higher bills, medical costs, transportation changes, or emergency savings
• Total Current Expenses
  Rent, necessary expenses, and optional expenses are added together
• Left After Rent + Necessary Expenses
  Shows what remains after covering only your most important required costs
• Left After All Current Expenses
  Shows what remains after rent, necessary expenses, and optional expenses
• Left After Possible Future Expenses
  Shows what may remain if your future expenses are also included
• Expense-to-Income Ratio
  Shows what percentage of your income is being used by your current expenses
• Status
  Gives a simple summary based on the numbers entered, such as whether things look workable, tight, or not enough

Other Notes:

• Results are estimates
• This calculator does not include taxes unless you already subtract them from your monthly income
• Optional expenses are separated so you can see what could be reduced if money gets tight
• Future expenses are not included in current expenses, they are used as a “what if?” estimate
• A positive leftover amount does not always mean the budget is comfortable, especially if the leftover amount is very small