Free tool
How much is safe to spend before payday?
Put in your balance, the bills due before payday and a cushion. You'll see how much you can spend until your paycheck lands, checked day by day so a bill that hits before money comes in is caught.
Your number
Safe to spend before payday
$603.74
Low point
Your lowest day is Thu, Nov 19: $703.74 left after Electric, before any extra spending.
The math
- $1,200.00 in checking today
- − $303.40 for 3 bills due by Thu, Nov 19
- − $192.86 everyday spending ($150.00 a week for 9 days)
- − $100.00 cushion
- = $603.74 safe to spend before payday
Payday is Fri, Nov 20, in 9 days. Bills due that day are counted; the paycheck isn't.
Nothing you type leaves this page. The math runs in your browser, with no sign-in, and nothing is saved or sent.
How the math works
Start with what's in checking today. Take out every bill due between now and payday, including bills due on payday itself. Take out your everyday spending for those days: your weekly amount, spread evenly over each day until payday. Then hold back your cushion. What's left is safe to spend.
The calculator also walks your balance forward one day at a time. Bills go out before any money that lands the same day, and your paycheck isn't counted at all. The lowest balance on that walk is your low point. If money comes in partway through, the low point (not the total by payday) decides what's safe, because a bill due before the deposit still has to clear.
When the number comes out below zero, it shows $0 and how much you're short, with the bills that would help most if their due dates moved past payday.
Want the longer version, with a worked example? Read: What's safe to spend before payday.
Questions people ask
What does safe to spend mean?
It's the money you can spend between now and payday without your checking balance dropping below your cushion on any day. It already allows for the bills due before payday and your usual everyday spending.
Should I count bills due on payday?
Yes. A paycheck can post later in the day than a bill, or a day late around a holiday. This calculator counts bills due on payday and leaves the paycheck out, so a bill that pulls before your pay arrives is already covered.
How big should my cushion be?
A cushion covers the things you didn't plan for, like a bill that runs higher than usual or a charge you forgot about. $100 is a common place to start. If your bills change a lot from month to month, a cushion closer to a week of everyday spending gives you more room.
Why does it look for my lowest day?
Money coming in before payday helps only after it lands. If a bill is due before a deposit, your balance dips first. Spending more than the low point allows could overdraw you, even if the total works out by payday.
What if my number is $0?
It means the bills and spending before payday take more than you have, once your cushion is held back. The calculator lists the bills that would help most if their due dates moved past payday. Some billers will move a due date if you ask. Trimming everyday spending until payday helps too.