About Afford Forge
Afford Forge checks a big decision against your own numbers: buying a car, having a baby, moving to a bigger place, buying a home, going part-time, quitting your job or taking a break, or any big purchase. It works out your money month by month for three years, how low your savings get, and how many months of essential costs they would cover. You get a clear answer — affordable, tight or not yet — and what would make it work.
How to use Afford Forge
- Fill in your take-home pay, your monthly costs and your savings. Rough numbers are fine.
- Pick what you are thinking about. The list fills with the costs people often forget; type in your own amounts.
- Read the answer, tick the “what if” boxes to test bad luck, and save options to compare them side by side.
The rules of thumb it uses
- Safety net: keep at least 3 months of essential costs (housing, bills, food, transport, debt repayments) in savings, and 6 months if your income is uncertain.
- Something left over: aim to have at least 10% of your take-home pay left each month after all costs.
- Housing: rent or mortgage above about a third of take-home pay usually feels tight.
- Debt: loan and card repayments above about 20% of take-home pay are a warning sign.
These are common guidelines, not laws. Your situation may be different.
Do I have to connect my bank account?
No. You type in your own rough numbers. Nothing is uploaded and there is no login.
Is Afford Forge financial advice?
No. It is a calculator that uses common rules of thumb. For a big decision, check the result with a fee-only financial adviser or a free debt and money advice service.
Is Afford Forge free?
Yes. It is free to use, with no account, no watermark and no paywall.
Related tools: Invoice Forge · Everyday Forge · Letter Forge