Six months of cover
$2,000 of essentials × 6 = a $12,000 target. With $3,000 saved and $500 a month, the remaining $9,000 takes 18 months; today's savings cover 1.5 months.
Emergency Fund Calculator
Find how big your emergency fund should be and how long it will take to build.
Result
Enter your values and select Calculate to see the result.
Runs in your browser — nothing you enter is sent to a server.
How the Emergency Fund Calculator works
An emergency fund covers essential costs if your income stops or a big bill arrives. Enter your essential monthly expenses and choose how many months to cover — commonly 3 to 6, more if your income is irregular or others depend on you. Add what you have saved and what you can save each month to see the gap and how long it takes to close.
Formulas
Target
target = essential monthly expenses × months of cover
Time to reach it
months = (target − saved) ÷ monthly saving, rounded up
Examples
Already there
With $2,000 of essentials, 3 months of cover and $7,000 saved, the $6,000 target is already reached.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as essential?
Housing, food, utilities, transport, insurance and minimum debt payments — not subscriptions, holidays or savings.
Where should I keep it?
Somewhere safe and quick to reach, such as an easy-access savings account — not in shares, which can fall just when you need them.
Should I build it before paying off debt?
Many people keep a small starter fund first, then clear expensive debt, then build the full fund. This is general information, not financial advice.
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