Budget Planner Online Free
Set income, allocate category budgets, track spending, and monitor your burn rate against time elapsed. Export your plan as JSON to save on any device, and reload it whenever you need it. No signup, runs entirely in your browser.
$2,240 of $3,500 spent
Category Breakdown
How the Budget Planner Works
- 1Select your period (Monthly, Weekly, or Yearly) and currency from the toolbar. Click directly on the Income card to set your income for the period.
- 2Edit category budgets in the Budget column and enter your actual spending in the Spent column. The progress bars and ring gauge update in real time.
- 3Watch the burn rate gauge — it compares your budget consumption against time elapsed in the period, flagging whether you are on track, at risk, or over budget.
- 4Click Export JSON to download your plan to your device. Share the file to any phone or computer and reload it with Load JSON.
Understanding the Burn Rate Gauge
The ring gauge shows two overlapping arcs: the light blue arc represents how far through the time period you are (e.g. Day 18 of 31 = 58% elapsed), and the colored arc shows what percentage of your total budget you have spent. When both arcs are roughly equal, you are on track. When the spending arc significantly leads the time arc, the gauge turns amber or red — a prompt to review your categories. This visual comparison is the core insight a standard spreadsheet budget cannot show at a glance.
Tips for Effective Budgeting
Budget before the month starts
Set your category allocations on the last day of the previous month. This gives you a plan before spending begins rather than tracking after the fact.
Update spending weekly
Check each category once a week and update the Spent values. Consistent weekly updates catch overspending early, before small overages compound.
Include savings as a category
Treat savings as a non-negotiable expense rather than what is left over. Allocate it first and track it like any other category to make it a habit.
Use the unallocated indicator
If the Budgeted card shows "unallocated", you have income not assigned to any category. Consider allocating it to savings, debt repayment, or an emergency fund category.
Export at month end for records
Export your completed budget at the end of each month. Over time, these files become a spending history that reveals patterns in your finances.
Watch the progress bar colors
Green bars are under 80% spent. Amber means 80–99% — you are near the limit. Red means you have exceeded the budget for that category. Address reds before they affect others.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I download my budget to my phone or computer?
Click the "Export JSON" button in the toolbar. Your browser will download a .json file named with the period and date (e.g. budget-monthly-2026-05-22.json). On mobile, the file saves to your Downloads folder. You can reload it at any time using the "Load JSON" button.
What does the burn rate gauge show?
The ring gauge compares two things: the percentage of your total budget you have spent (colored ring) versus how far through the time period you are (light blue ring). If you have spent 70% of your budget but only 50% of the month has passed, the gauge turns amber to flag that you are spending faster than expected. Green means on track, amber means at risk, red means over budget, and blue means you are spending slower than the period pace.
Can I use this on my mobile phone?
Yes. The tool works in any mobile browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox). The layout stacks vertically on small screens. To save the budget on your phone, tap Export JSON — the file downloads to your phone's storage. To reload it on any device, use Load JSON and select the file.
How do I add or remove budget categories?
Click "+ Add Category" to add a new row with default values. Click the × button on any row to remove it. You can rename a category by clicking directly on its name in the table — the field becomes editable.
What happens if my total budgeted amount exceeds my income?
The "Budgeted" card will show how much you are over your income. No data is lost — you can adjust individual category budgets by editing the numbers in the Budget column. The income field can also be edited by clicking directly on the value in the Income card.
Does this tool save my data between sessions?
No data is stored on any server or in the browser. If you close the tab, your data is cleared. Use Export JSON before closing to save your plan, then Load JSON to restore it in a future session.
Can I track weekly or yearly budgets?
Yes. Use the Monthly / Weekly / Yearly tabs in the toolbar. Switching periods changes the time-progress calculation so the burn rate gauge reflects how far through the current week or year you are. Your category names and amounts remain the same — adjust them as needed for the new period.
Which currencies are supported?
The currency selector supports USD ($), EUR (€), GBP (£), INR (₹), JPY (¥), AUD (A$), and CAD (C$). Selecting a currency changes the symbol displayed throughout the dashboard. The saved JSON file also stores the selected currency symbol.