Personal finance

Emergency Fund Calculator

Add up your monthly essentials, choose how many months you want covered, and we’ll compute a target fund plus a monthly contribution plan to reach it. Common guidance suggests keeping 3–6 months of essential expenses; consider a larger buffer if your income is variable.

Monthly essentials

Rent / Mortgage ($)

Food & Groceries ($)

Utilities & Telecom ($)

Debt (minimums) ($)

Insurance ($)

Transportation ($)

Miscellaneous ($)

Total Monthly Essentials

$0.00

Coverage target & plan

Months of Coverage

Within common range

Current Emergency Savings ($)

Months to Build Goal

Target Fund

$0.00

Shortfall

$0.00

Monthly Contribution

$0.00

Quick reference

Common guidance: 3–6 months of essential expenses.
Variable income or dependents? Consider a larger buffer (e.g., 6–12 months).
Just starting out? A small starter fund (e.g., $500–$1,000) can cover many everyday surprises.

What to include

Essentials only (baseline lifestyle):

Rent/Mortgage & utilities
Food & transportation
Insurance, minimum debt payments
Phone/internet & other recurring needs

Tips

Keep funds liquid (e.g., savings/HYSA).
Automate contributions on payday.
Re-check target after major life changes.

Want to model a home purchase? Try our Mortgage and House Affordability calculators.