Personal financeLiquiditySafety

Emergency Fund Calculator

Add up your essentials, pick a coverage target, and track progress with a gauge and a savings timeline. Guidance commonly suggests keeping 3–6 months of essential expenses in a liquid, insured account (e.g., savings/HYSA).^[1]

Monthly essentials

Rent / Mortgage ($)

Food & Groceries ($)

Utilities & Telecom ($)

Debt (minimums) ($)

Insurance ($)

Transportation ($)

Miscellaneous ($)

Total Monthly Essentials

$2,550.00

Rent / Mortgage47.1%

Food & Groceries17.6%

Utilities & Telecom8.6%

Debt (minimums)5.9%

Insurance7.1%

Transportation7.8%

Miscellaneous5.9%

Months of Coverage

Within common range

Current Emergency Savings ($)

Months to Build Goal

Target Fund

$15,300.00

Shortfall

$13,300.00

Monthly Contribution

$1,108.33

Months Covered Now

0.8 mo

Coverage progress

13.1%

$2,000.00 of $15,300.00 saved

Savings timeline to goal

BalanceTarget

Quick reference

Common guidance: keep 3–6 months of essential expenses; those with variable income or dependents often target 6–12 months.
Store funds in liquid, low-risk, federally insured accounts—e.g., savings/HYSA, money market, or short CDs—covered by FDIC/NCUA.
Tier it: keep 1–2 months in checking/HYSA for instant access; hold the rest in HYSA or short-term CDs (laddered) with early-withdrawal options.
Automate transfers (treat it like a bill), and review after life events—job changes, new dependents, or debt payoffs.
Avoid risky assets (equities/long bonds) for this bucket—preserve principal first.

Notes: We visualize progress and a simple contribution plan. Many reputable sources (e.g., SEC’s Investor.gov) suggest saving up to six months of income for emergencies, kept in savings products (savings accounts, CDs, money market) that are FDIC/NCUA insured.^[2]

Want deeper planning? Pair this with our Spending and Savings Growth tools.