Short answer: The 20/4/10 rule: 20% down, max 4-year loan, total transport under 10–15% of take-home.
The longer version
Most budgets fail because they are built on guesses instead of real numbers. The number above is a starting point, not a law — your city, dependents and income stability all shift it. What doesn't change: you can't manage what you don't measure.
Put a number on it this week
Open your tracker and check the actual figure for your own life — last month's real data answers this question better than any article. Set a cap or goal around it, turn on alerts, and revisit in 30 days.
Common mistakes
Answering from memory instead of records; setting targets copied from someone else's salary; and changing five habits at once. Pick the one number this article is about, fix it for a month, then move on.
Expense Tracker: Income Manager keeps budgets, EMIs, SIP goals and daily spending on your phone. No account, no ads, no cloud.
