Guide
How much can I spend a day until payday
Take what has come in during this cycle, subtract what you have already spent and what is still to go out (instalments, subscriptions), then divide by the days left until your next payday, today included. With €1,500 received, €660 spent and €420 coming up, 12 days from payday: €35 a day.
Updated 9 October 2026. By Matteo De Min.
The calculation in one line
(cycle income − spending so far − upcoming fixed commitments) ÷ days left until your next payday.
The cycle is not the calendar month: it starts the day you are paid and ends the day before the next payment. If your salary arrives on the 27th, your “month” runs from the 27th to the 26th.
An example with numbers
You are 12 days from your next payday, today included. During this cycle, €1,500 has come in.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cycle income | €1,500 |
| Spending so far | −€660 |
| Fixed commitments still to come (instalments, subscriptions) | −€420 |
| Left to spend in the cycle | €420 |
€420 ÷ 12 days = €35 a day.
What changes if the data changes
The figure is recalculated every day, because the days left change and so does what you have spent. On the same example:
| What changes | Per day |
|---|---|
| 12 days to go (the base case) | €35 |
| 15 days to go instead of 12 | €28 |
| You spent €60 more today | €30 |
| Salary arrives 3 days earlier (9 days) | €46.67 |
Spending less than planned on one day raises the figure for the following days, because the surplus is spread over the days that remain.
What counts as an upcoming fixed commitment
Only outgoings whose amount and date you already know: instalments, subscriptions, rent, bills with a known due date. Everyday spending (groceries, coffee, petrol) isn’t counted here: it is exactly what the final figure has to cover.
If you haven’t recorded a commitment, the calculation doesn’t know about it and the figure comes out higher than the truth. How to enter instalments and subscriptions in the calculation is explained in the guide on instalments and subscriptions in your budget.
What this figure tells you and what it doesn’t
It is an average: it tells you the pace at which you can spend to reach payday without going below zero. It is not a daily limit to keep to day by day, and it doesn’t account for a big expense you know you will have to make and haven’t recorded yet. If the result is negative, what you have doesn’t cover the commitments already made until payday.
How MoneyLeft does it
The “How much you can spend today” card on Home does this calculation and recalculates it every day. The cycle starts on the payday you set. Recorded instalments and subscriptions are already subtracted, and under the figure the card shows where it comes from: income, spending so far, fixed commitments, days. If there is no income in the cycle yet, it starts from the available balance. If the result is below zero, the app shows zero.
MoneyLeft doesn’t connect to your bank: you enter the transactions yourself, or import them from a CSV file.
Download MoneyLeft on the App Store