Emergency Fund Calculator

How Many Months You Actually Need, Based on Your Risk Factors

"3 to 6 months" is common advice, but it's a starting point, not a rule — your right number depends on how quickly you could replace lost income and how predictable your expenses are. This tool turns a few honest answers about your situation into a specific recommendation within the widely-used 3-12 month range, with the reasoning shown so you can judge it yourself.
Monthly Essential Expenses
$
Rent/mortgage, utilities, food, insurance, minimum debt payments, transportation — not discretionary spending.
Your Household's Risk Factors
Current Progress Optional
$
$
About
What Counts as "Essential"
Contact

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.