Emergency Fund Calculator
Set an emergency fund target from monthly essentials and months of coverage, with a monthly and weekly saving pace to reach it in a year.
What you get
An emergency fund target based on essential monthly expenses and the number of months you want to cover, plus a monthly and weekly saving pace to reach it in a year.
How to use it
Count essentials only: housing, food, utilities, transportation, insurance, and minimum debt payments. Leave out subscriptions, dining out, and hobbies. Choose three months if you have a steady second income, six months if one income supports the household, and adjust from there.
One example
Essentials of $3,500 a month and a six-month target give $21,000. Saving for a year means about $1,750 a month or $404 a week. If that is too steep, a $1,000 starter fund comes first.
Common questions
Three months or six?
Three is a minimum for stable dual-income households; six is safer for single-income or variable-income families.
Where should the fund sit?
A separate savings or money market account you can reach within a day or two. Not invested in something that can drop.
Should I pause investing to build it?
Build a starter fund first, then split savings between the emergency fund and long-term goals.
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