Emergency Fund Calculator

Calculate how much you need in your emergency fund.

Housing (Rent/Mortgage) ($)

Utilities ($)

Groceries ($)

Transportation ($)

Insurance ($)

Minimum Debt Payments ($)

Other Essentials ($)

Months of Coverage

$18,600

Emergency Fund Target (6 months)

$3,100

Monthly Essential Expenses

Learn More

Emergency Fund Guide: How Much You Need and How to Build It Fast

Where to Keep Your Emergency Fund: Best Accounts for Safety and Access

7 Emergency Fund Mistakes That Could Leave You Broke

Key Terms to Know

Emergency Fund Liquidity High-Yield Savings Account

Understanding This Calculator

What this calculator does

This calculator determines how large your emergency fund should be based on your monthly essential expenses and how many months of coverage you want, then shows how long it takes to build it.

How to use the results

1.Enter your monthly essential expenses (housing, food, utilities, insurance, minimum debt payments — not discretionary spending).
2.Choose your coverage target: 3 months (stable income, dual-income household), 6 months (single income or more risk), or up to 12 months (freelance, self-employed, or recession-sensitive).
3.Read the target fund size and the monthly saving amount needed to reach it in your chosen timeframe.

Worked example

If your essential expenses are $3,500/month and you want 6 months of coverage, your target is $21,000. Saving $700/month gets you there in about 2.5 years; $1,400/month in just over a year.

Important assumptions & limitations

•'Essential expenses' means what you must pay to live — not entertainment or dining out. If unsure, use 60–70% of your total spending.
•The calculator assumes you save into a liquid account; it does not invest the fund because emergency money must be accessible without selling at a loss.
•It does not account for income disruption during the savings period.