How Much Money Do You Actually Need to Buy a House?
Estimate cash to close, reserves, moving costs, and repairs with a $500,000 home-buying example for 2026.
planin30
30 seconds to your first plan.
Then build from there.
Free planning tools for the decisions that need more than a guess — retiring on time, planning a trip, paying off debt, buying a home. No spreadsheets, no sign-up wall.
Featured starting points
Start a retirement plan
See if you're on track to retire.
Plan a trip
Budget every line — flights to coffee.
Pay off debt
Track your balance to zero.
Buy a home
See what you can afford.
How planning starts
From rough question to first plan.
Start with the decision in front of you. Put real numbers on it, compare your options, and leave with a next step.
We never see your accounts. No bank connections, no transaction logs — enter a balance when you want to update the plan.
Name the decision
Pin down the goal, the deadline, and the tradeoff before the math gets loud.
Run the numbers
Start with plain assumptions for cost, timing, savings, or payoff.
Compare options
Change the inputs and see what moves, not just one final answer.
Make the next move
Leave with a monthly number, date, or option worth revisiting.
Planner library
Life happens. Plan for it.
Start with the decision you are trying to make. Each tool helps turn a rough question into a number, date, budget, or next step.
Retirement & long-term money
Retirement, education, financial independence, and longer-horizon wealth decisions.
Financial Independence Planner
FinancialWhen could investments support me without a paycheck?
529 College Savings Calculator
FinancialWhat should we save for future education costs?
Monthly targets
Goals that need a contribution, payment, balance update, or target date.
Home, car & big decisions
Expensive choices where timing, financing, and tradeoffs matter.
Home Affordability Calculator
FinancialWhat home price fits my cash and monthly budget?
Car Buy vs Lease Calculator
FinancialWhich car path is cheaper over the period I care about?
How should I budget a remodel without missing the hidden parts?
Events, trips & projects
Real-world plans with line items, dates, payments, and people involved.
What will the wedding cost, and when is each payment due?
What do we need to buy, borrow, pack, and budget?
What are the start-of-school costs beyond tuition?
Advice, estate & career
Structured questions when the next step is a shortlist or conversation.
What kind of professional should I talk to first?
Trust Structure Recommender
AdvisorWhich trust structures are worth asking an estate attorney about?
Which career paths fit my goals, strengths, and constraints?
Quick walkthrough
See it in 30 seconds.
Watch a compact Wedding Budget Planner demo covering budgeting, timeline planning, payment tracking, and sharing.
Open the Wedding Budget Planner
30-second Wedding Budget Planner demo
A quick look at turning early inputs into a budget, timeline, payment tracker, and shareable plan.
Watch the 30-second walkthrough
Articles
Calculator-backed guides for retirement, home buying, savings, estate planning, and the money decisions that deserve a real scenario.
Rent vs. Buy: How to Find Your Break-Even Point (2026)
Find your rent-vs-buy break-even year with a worked 2026 scenario and the three levers that most change the result.
Debt Snowball vs Avalanche: Which Payoff Method Should You Use?
Compare debt snowball and avalanche with a payoff scenario, interest estimate, first-win timeline, and calculator steps for choosing your method.
What Age Can I Retire? A Financial Independence Reality Check
A worked example with real numbers: test what age you can retire, what monthly spending fits, and when a full retirement calculator is the better next step.
How Much Should You Save Each Month to Reach Your Goal?
Use a simple monthly savings formula, then adjust it for deadlines, starting balances, interest, and real-life catch-up months.
What Kind of Financial Advisor Do You Actually Need?
Match your situation to the right advisor type before you hire, from planners and CPAs to estate attorneys, insurance pros, and investment managers.