Emergency fund calculator

An emergency fund covers your essential costs if your income stops or a big bill arrives. Add up what you must pay each month, choose how many months to cover, and see your target and how long it will take to save it.

Your numbers

Rent or mortgage ($/month)

Groceries ($/month)

Utilities, phone and transport ($/month)

Insurance and healthcare ($/month)

Minimum debt payments ($/month)

Other essentials ($/month) Childcare, medication, anything you cannot pause

Months to cover

Already saved for emergencies ($)

You can save each month ($)

How many months should you cover?

Three to six months of essential costs is the range most often suggested. Lean towards the upper end, or beyond, if:

your income is irregular (freelance, commission, seasonal work);
one income supports the whole household;
finding a new job in your field usually takes a while;
you own a home or an older car that may need costly repairs.

What counts as "essential"?

Only what you would still have to pay in a lean month: housing, groceries, utilities, insurance, transport to work, and minimum debt payments. Leave out subscriptions, eating out and extra debt payments, which you could pause.

How this calculator works

Target = essential monthly costs × months to cover. The time to reach it is the amount still to save divided by what you can save each month, rounded up to whole months. It does not add interest, so if you keep the fund in a high-yield savings account you may get there a little sooner.

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This calculator gives an estimate for planning. It is not financial advice.