The Basic Needs Budget Calculator shows how much it takes for families to afford minimum daily necessities. It also allows you to create customized results by changing assumptions about basic family expenses. The Basic Needs Budget Calculator is derived from NCCP’s Family Resource Simulator tool. While the Basic Needs Budget Calculator does not assume that families qualify for any benefits beyond tax credits, the Family Resource Simulator allows users to measure the impact of a variety of benefit programs across a range of earnings.