Bare Bones Budget Stripper
Bare Bones Budget Calculator — Cut to Survival Mode
What this calculator does
This calculator separates non-negotiable survival expenses from discretionary spending. It shows the minimum income you need and the total cost of your wants.
The math, with a worked example
Survival total = rent + groceries + utilities + transport. Discretionary total = sum of all other expenses entered. With $1,200 rent, $350 groceries, $200 utilities, and $150 transport, your survival minimum is $1,900. The Netflix, dining, subscription, gym, and coffee lines add $565 you can pause.
Why this matters
Survival mode has an exact price, and most people have never calculated theirs: rent, groceries, utilities, transport, and nothing else. Knowing it's $1,900 changes a crisis from 'cut everything somehow' to 'find $1,900, cancel the rest without guilt.'
Methodology and transparency
Survival total = rent + groceries + utilities + transport; everything else you enter is counted discretionary. The 4-category line is deliberately strict, and that's the assumption to check against your life: medication, child care, a phone contract, or court-ordered payments can be as non-negotiable as rent, so add them to your survival side mentally if cutting them isn't real. Everything runs in your browser; no data is sent or stored.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-08
Common questions
What counts as a survival expense?
Shelter, basic food, utilities, and transport needed to keep income flowing. Everything else is negotiable in crisis mode.
Can I enter expenses in a list?
Yes. Enter one expense per line or separate them with commas in the format name $amount.
What should I do with the difference?
Use it to pay down high-interest debt, build an emergency fund, or survive a reduced income period.