Emergency Fund Calculator
How big your safety net should be, and how fast you can build it.
Your numbers
How this calculator works
An emergency fund is boring on purpose: 3–6 months of essential expenses sitting in a savings account, waiting for the job loss, car breakdown or medical bill that eventually comes for everyone. It is the foundation every other financial goal stands on, without it, one surprise forces you into credit card debt at 24% APR. This emergency fund calculator sizes yours correctly: enter your true monthly essentials (housing, food, transport, insurance, minimum debt payments, not vacations or shopping), pick your coverage target, and it shows the fund size, how many months your current savings cover, and exactly how long your monthly savings take to close the gap.
Three to six months is the standard range: 3 if you have a stable job and dual incomes, 6 if you are the sole earner or freelance, more if your income is volatile. Keep it in a high-yield savings account, not invested, the point is instant access, not growth. And treat it as a revolving door, not a vault: when you spend from it, rebuilding becomes your top financial priority until it is full again. The month-by-month projection shows your progress curve, which helps on the slow months when the goal still feels far away.