About the Emergency Fund Calculator
Generic advice to save "3 to 6 months of expenses" doesn't account for how different one household's risk actually is from another's — a dual-income family with stable salaried jobs faces a very different risk than a single self-employed earner supporting dependents. This tool starts from a 3-month baseline and adds months for each risk factor that applies to you — number of income earners, income stability, dependents, industry volatility, and health coverage — landing on a specific number within the commonly-cited 3-12 month range, with the reasoning shown in a breakdown table so the number isn't a black box. If you enter your current savings and what you can set aside monthly, it also shows your progress and an estimated timeline to reach the goal. Everything is calculated locally in your browser.
What Counts as "Essential"
IncludeRent or mortgage, utilities, groceries, insurance premiums, minimum debt payments, transportation, and any other spending you genuinely couldn't cut in a crisis.
Leave outDining out, entertainment subscriptions, vacations, and other discretionary spending — an emergency fund is about survival, not maintaining your normal lifestyle. You'd likely cut these first if income stopped.
Where to find the numberAdd up 2-3 recent months of bank/card statements for the "unavoidable" categories and divide by the number of months, for a realistic average rather than a guess.
This isn't the same as savings goalsAn emergency fund is specifically for income loss or unexpected large expenses — a separate line from money you're saving for a house, vacation, or retirement.
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