BASIC BUDGET CALCULATOR
You need this.
You signed the lease and now you need to figure out what you can actually afford. This one-page calculator maps income to rent to bills to savings so you know your real furniture budget before you buy a single thing.
Drop your email and we'll send the printable straight to your inbox. No spam, only the file plus a few smart follow-ups.
We render apartments for a living. We make the printables we wish renters had.
Rendered by Design creates city-specific home design guides, room lookbooks, and budget tools for first-apartment renters in NYC, Austin, Phoenix, Seattle, Atlanta, and beyond. Every resource on this site is built from real design work we do every day.
Meet RbDWithout it, you'll forget half the list.
- You sign a lease without running the real numbers and month two is a surprise
- You buy furniture before calculating what is left after rent, utilities, and food
- You forget recurring costs like renter's insurance, parking, and laundry
- Your roommate assumes 50/50 split but your rooms are different sizes
What's Inside
- ✓ Income vs. fixed costs breakdown with the 50/30/20 framework built in
- ✓ Furniture fund calculator: what is left after essentials, and how many months to furnish
- ✓ Recurring cost checklist so nothing surprises you in month two
- ✓ Roommate split worksheet for unequal rooms and shared utilities
How It Works
Enter your monthly take-home pay
Fill in rent, utilities, food, transport, insurance
The calculator shows your real discretionary budget
Allocate the furniture fund and stick to it
Choose Your Adventure
All four other RbD printables. Pick the one you need next.
Shop the Look
Pieces from the RbD retailer index. Use the printable as your shopping checklist.
FTC: Some links below are affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only feature pieces we'd put in a real RbD render.
Room Budget Calculator
Every product, room, layout, and budget breakdown, done for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this really free?
Yes. PDF arrives by email in under five minutes. No credit card.
Is this a spreadsheet or a PDF?
PDF with fillable fields. You can type directly into the cells on your phone or laptop, or print and fill by hand.
How is this different from the paid Room Budget Calculator?
This is a quick one-page overview of your total budget. The paid version breaks down furniture costs per room with city-specific pricing and retailer comparisons.
What format?
PDF, 1 page, US letter. Fillable on any device.