Emergency fund calculator

An emergency fund is cash set aside for surprise bills or a loss of pay. Enter your must-pay costs for one month and what you have saved. See your goal, how long it takes to reach it, and how long it would last.

For cash you keep for surprise bills or a loss of pay · Free, no sign-up · The formula

Must-pay costs each month

Only the bills you must pay, like housing, food, power and insurance.

Months to cover

Saved so far

How will you get there?

Saved each month

Savings rate (APY)optional

The rate on your own account. Leave it at 0 to leave interest out.

Money still coming in each monthoptional

A partner’s pay or jobless benefits. It only changes how long the fund would last.

Your goal

$9,600

To cover 3 months of $3,200 in must-pay costs, you need $9,600. You have $1,500, so $8,100 is left to save. At $400 a month, you would reach it in 21 months (1 year 9 months).

0.4 monthsCovered today, about 2 weeks

$8,100Left to save

21 monthsTime to goal

If your pay stopped, a full fund would last 3 months.

TodayMonth 11Month 21

Your balanceYour goalMilestones

Your balance would reach your goal in month 21.

Save my plan

Hypothetical illustration based on your inputs. Not a prediction, a recommendation, or the performance of any Amaltash strategy.

How it works: your goal is your must-pay costs for one month times the months you pick. Savings go in at the end of each month. Interest is added monthly at the rate you enter. It assumes steady costs, every deposit on time, and no fees or taxes.

Results change each time you change an input.

Real rates change. Fees, taxes and penalties are not included, and a rate you are offered can differ from this one.

Your goal at 1 to 12 months of cover

Months covered	Goal	Left to save	Reached in
1 month	$3,200	$1,700	5 months
3 months	$9,600	$8,100	21 months (1 yr 9 mo)
6 months	$19,200	$17,700	45 months (3 yr 9 mo)
9 months	$28,800	$27,300	69 months (5 yr 9 mo)
12 months	$38,400	$36,900	93 months (7 yr 9 mo)

Milestones on the way

$400The surprise bill the Federal Reserve survey asks aboutAlready there
$3,200One month of must-pay costsMonth 5
$9,600Your goalMonth 21

What if you changed the plan?

Save $50 more a month18 months (1 yr 6 mo), 3 months sooner
Save $100 more a month17 months (1 yr 5 mo), 4 months sooner
Save $200 more a month14 months (1 yr 2 mo), 7 months sooner
Cut a bill by $100 a month and save it16 months (1 yr 4 mo), 5 months sooner

See every month

Month	You added so far	Balance	Costs covered
Today	$0	$1,500	0.4 months
1	$400	$1,900	0.5 months
2	$800	$2,300	0.7 months
3	$1,200	$2,700	0.8 months
4	$1,600	$3,100	0.9 months
5	$2,000	$3,500	1.0 months
6	$2,400	$3,900	1.2 months
7	$2,800	$4,300	1.3 months
8	$3,200	$4,700	1.4 months
9	$3,600	$5,100	1.5 months
10	$4,000	$5,500	1.7 months
11	$4,400	$5,900	1.8 months
12	$4,800	$6,300	1.9 months
13	$5,200	$6,700	2.0 months
14	$5,600	$7,100	2.2 months
15	$6,000	$7,500	2.3 months
16	$6,400	$7,900	2.4 months
17	$6,800	$8,300	2.5 months
18	$7,200	$8,700	2.7 months
19	$7,600	$9,100	2.8 months
20	$8,000	$9,500	2.9 months
21goal reached	$8,400	$9,900	3.0 months

What is an emergency fund?

An emergency fund is cash you set aside for costs you did not plan for. The CFPB is a US consumer agency. Its examples are car repairs, home repairs, medical bills and a loss of income. The fund lets you pay those bills without borrowing. It is savings, not an investment.

A rainy day fund is the same idea. Some people use that name for smaller bills.
Why it matters: the CFPB says a money shock, even a small one, can set you back. If it turns into debt, the harm can last.
The Federal Reserve asks adults each year about a surprise $400 bill. In 2025, 37% said they would not pay it with cash or its equivalent.

How much should I have in an emergency fund?

Multiply your must-pay costs for one month by the number of months you want covered. Three months and six months are common yardsticks. With $3,200 of must-pay costs, 3 months is $9,600 and 6 months is $19,200. The CFPB says the amount you need depends on your situation, so pick the months that fit you.

G = E \times m

In words: Multiply one month of must-pay costs by the months you want covered.

$G$: your goal, in dollars
$E$: your must-pay costs for one month
$m$: the months you want covered

Each extra month of cover adds one month of costs to the goal. The table shows this for six levels of monthly costs.

Must-pay costs a month	1 month	3 months	6 months	9 months	12 months
$2,000	$2,000	$6,000	$12,000	$18,000	$24,000
$3,000	$3,000	$9,000	$18,000	$27,000	$36,000
$4,000	$4,000	$12,000	$24,000	$36,000	$48,000
$5,000	$5,000	$15,000	$30,000	$45,000	$60,000
$6,000	$6,000	$18,000	$36,000	$54,000	$72,000
$8,000	$8,000	$24,000	$48,000	$72,000	$96,000

Two regulators give a yardstick. The Federal Reserve’s survey asks about 3 months of expenses. Investor.gov, run by the SEC, says some people keep up to six months of income in savings.

How to calculate your emergency fund

Add up the bills you must pay each month. Housing, food, power, insurance and minimum debt payments all count. Pick how many months to cover. Multiply the two. Then subtract what you have saved to see what is left. The steps below walk through it with made-up numbers.

List your must-pay costs for one month. Example: $1,500 + $300 + $600 + $400 + $250 + $150 = $3,200.
Leave out wants, like eating out and trips. You could pause those in a hard month.
Pick the months to cover. This example uses 3.
Multiply: $3,200 × 3 = $9,600. That is the goal.
Subtract what you have saved: $9,600 − $1,500 = $8,100 left to save.

Not sure what counts? This table sorts some common bills.

Count it (must-pay)	Can pause (wants)
Rent or mortgage	Eating out
Utilities and phone	Trips
Food at home	Streaming
Getting to work	Gifts
Insurance and health costs	Hobbies
Minimum debt payments	New gadgets
Child care	Home upgrades

Sort your must-pay costs from your wants with the budget calculator →

L = \max(0,\; G - F)

In words: Take what you have saved away from the goal. That is what is left to save. It never goes below zero.

$L$: what is left to save
$G$: your goal, in dollars
$F$: what you have saved so far

You can build the same thing in Excel or Google Sheets. Type your numbers into cells B1 to B7. Then add the formulas.

Cell	What it holds	What to type
B1	Must-pay costs for one month	Your number
B2	Months to cover	Your number
B3	Your goal	=B1*B2
B4	Saved so far	Your number
B5	Added each month	Your number
B6	Savings rate, typed like 4% (0% for none)	Your number
B7	Months until your date	Your number
B8	Left to save	=MAX(0,B3-B4)
B9	Months to reach the goal	=ROUNDUP(NPER((1+B6)^(1/12)-1,-B5,-B4,B3),0)
B10	Amount to save each month by your date	=-PMT((1+B6)^(1/12)-1,B7,-B4,B3)

Check your sheet with the example. Use $3,200 of costs, 3 months, $1,500 saved and $400 a month. Set a 0% rate and 12 months to your date. The goal is $9,600. Left to save is $8,100. The months come to 21. The monthly amount comes to $675.

3 months, 6 months or more: how many months of expenses?

There is no single right number. Three months is the level the Federal Reserve tracks in its yearly survey. Six months is a common higher goal. People with one income, pay that changes, or others who rely on them often pick more months. People with two steady incomes may pick fewer.

Points to more months	Points to fewer months
One income in the home	Two incomes
Pay that changes month to month	Steady pay
Children or parents rely on you	No one relies on you
A high health deductible	A low deductible
An older car or home	A newer car or home
Jobs in your field are slow to find	Jobs in your field are quick to find

These are facts about your own life, not advice. Pick a number of months, then test it in the calculator.

Some writers use a 3-6-9 rule: 3, 6 or 9 months, based on how steady your income is. It is a rule of thumb. No regulator sets it.

How long can a job search run? The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counts people who are out of work each month. This table is its count for October 2026. It shows how long they had been looking so far.

About 28 in 100 unemployed people had been looking for 27 weeks or more.

Weeks without work so far	Share of unemployed people	Running total
Less than 5 weeks	30.5%	30.5%
5 to 14 weeks	24.4%	54.9%
15 to 26 weeks	17.5%	72.4%
27 weeks or more	27.6%	100.0%

Half had been looking for less than 11.9 weeks, which is about 2.7 months. The average was 27.1 weeks. For scale, 3 months is 13 weeks and 6 months is 26 weeks.

This is a snapshot of searches still under way, taken in one month. It is past data. It does not show how long your own search would take.

The Department of Labor says jobless benefits can be paid for up to 26 weeks in most states. The rules differ by state.

How long does it take to build an emergency fund?

Divide what is left to save by what you add each month. With $8,100 left and $400 a month, that is 20.25, so the goal is reached in month 21. Here is a shortcut. Save one dollar for every ten dollars of must-pay costs, and each month of cover takes ten months.

n = \left\lceil \frac{G - F}{D} \right\rceil

In words: Divide what is left by what you add each month. Then round up to the next whole month.

$n$: the months it takes to reach the goal
$G$: your goal, in dollars
$F$: what you have saved so far
$D$: what you add each month

n = \left\lceil \frac{m}{s} \right\rceil, \quad s = \frac{D}{E}

In words: Divide the months you want by the share of your costs that you save. This starts from $0 and leaves out interest.

$n$: the months it takes to reach the goal
$m$: the months you want covered
$s$: the share of your costs you save each month
$D$: what you add each month
$E$: your must-pay costs for one month

Save a tenth of your costs and each month of cover takes ten months. The table starts from $0 and leaves out interest. It works the same at any income.

You save	1 month of cover	3 months	6 months
$0.50 for every $10 of costs (5%)	1 year 8 months	5 years	10 years
$1 for every $10 (10%)	10 months	2 years 6 months	5 years
$1.50 for every $10 (15%)	7 months	1 year 8 months	3 years 4 months
$2 for every $10 (20%)	5 months	1 year 3 months	2 years 6 months
$2.50 for every $10 (25%)	4 months	1 year	2 years
$5 for every $10 (50%)	2 months	6 months	1 year

A savings rate helps too. First turn the yearly rate into a rate for one month. Then grow the balance month by month. The calculator adds each deposit at the end of the month.

g = (1 + \text{APY})^{1/12} - 1

In words: Turn the yearly rate into the rate for one month.

$g$: the rate for one month, as a decimal
$\text{APY}$: your yearly savings rate, as a decimal

B_n = F(1+g)^n + D \cdot \frac{(1+g)^n - 1}{g}

In words: Grow what you have for n months. Then add each monthly deposit with the interest it earned.

$B_n$: your balance after n months
$F$: what you have saved so far
$D$: what you add each month
$g$: the rate for one month, as a decimal
$n$: the number of months

n = \left\lceil \frac{\ln\!\left(\dfrac{G + D/g}{F + D/g}\right)}{\ln(1+g)} \right\rceil

In words: With interest, the goal comes a little sooner. This finds the first month your balance reaches the goal.

$n$: the months it takes to reach the goal
$G$: your goal, in dollars
$F$: what you have saved so far
$D$: what you add each month
$g$: the rate for one month, as a decimal

How much does a rate help? This example goes from $1,500 to $19,200. The rates are made up to show the math. An extra $50 a month did more than a 5% rate.

Plan	Months to goal	Interest on the way
$400 a month at 0%	45	$0
$400 a month at 2% APY	43	$721
$400 a month at 4% APY	41	$1,336
$400 a month at 5% APY	41	$1,682
$450 a month at 0%	40	$0
$500 a month at 0%	36	$0

Cutting a bill helps twice: a smaller goal and more to save. The table uses the example plan of $3,200 in costs, $1,500 saved and $400 a month.

n' = \left\lceil \frac{m(E - x) - F}{D + x} \right\rceil

In words: Cut a bill by x and save that money. The goal shrinks and the saving grows at the same time.

$n'$: the months to the goal after the cut
$m$: the months you want covered
$E$: your must-pay costs for one month
$x$: the amount cut from one bill each month
$F$: what you have saved so far
$D$: what you add each month

Goal and change	Now	Save that much more	Cut a bill and save it
3 months, $100 a month	21 months	17 months	16 months
3 months, $200 a month	21 months	14 months	13 months
3 months, $300 a month	21 months	12 months	11 months
6 months, $100 a month	45 months	36 months	35 months
6 months, $200 a month	45 months	30 months	28 months
6 months, $300 a month	45 months	26 months	23 months

See how a rate adds up over time with the compound interest calculator →

See what a rate adds each month with the high-yield savings calculator →

How much should I save each month for an emergency fund?

Pick a date, then divide what is left to save by the months until then. To save $8,100 in 12 months, you need $675 a month. In 24 months, you need $338 a month. Switch the calculator to “I want it by” and it does this for you, with or without interest.

D = \frac{G - F}{n}

In words: Divide what is left to save by the months you have.

$D$: what you need to add each month
$G$: your goal, in dollars
$F$: what you have saved so far
$n$: the months until your date

D = \frac{\left(G - F(1+g)^n\right) g}{(1+g)^n - 1}

In words: With interest, the monthly amount is a little smaller. Your savings and each deposit both earn interest on the way.

$D$: what you need to add each month
$G$: your goal, in dollars
$F$: what you have saved so far
$n$: the months until your date
$g$: the rate for one month, as a decimal

Twice the time means half the monthly amount. The table starts from $0, leaves out interest and rounds up to the next dollar.

Goal	In 12 months	In 18 months	In 24 months	In 36 months
$5,000	$417	$278	$209	$139
$10,000	$834	$556	$417	$278
$15,000	$1,250	$834	$625	$417
$20,000	$1,667	$1,112	$834	$556
$30,000	$2,500	$1,667	$1,250	$834

Interest lowers the amount a little. To reach $19,200 in 24 months from $1,500, you need $738 a month at 0%. At a made-up 4% APY, you need $706.

Find what a set amount each month adds up to with the future value calculator →

Is $1,000, $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000 enough for an emergency fund?

It depends on your must-pay costs. Divide the fund by one month of costs to see how many months it covers. $10,000 covers 5 months if your costs are $2,000 a month. At $5,000 a month it covers only 2. The table below shows more sizes.

c = \frac{F}{E}

In words: Divide what you have saved by one month of costs. That is how many months you can cover today.

$c$: the months your savings cover today
$F$: what you have saved so far
$E$: your must-pay costs for one month

The same fund covers fewer months as costs rise. The cells show months of costs covered, rounded down.

Fund	$2,000 a month	$3,000	$4,000	$5,000	$6,000
$1,000	0.5	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.1
$2,500	1.2	0.8	0.6	0.5	0.4
$5,000	2.5	1.6	1.2	1.0	0.8
$10,000	5.0	3.3	2.5	2.0	1.6
$20,000	10.0	6.6	5.0	4.0	3.3
$50,000	25.0	16.6	12.5	10.0	8.3

Some people start with a $1,000 starter fund. The CFPB says that setting aside even a small amount helps you recover faster.

Count your emergency fund in your net worth with the net worth calculator →

How long would my emergency fund last?

Divide the fund by the gap between your must-pay costs and any money still coming in. A $12,000 fund lasts 3 months against $4,000 of costs. If a partner’s pay or jobless benefits cover half of those costs, the same fund lasts 6 months. Enter that income in the calculator to see it.

R = \frac{F}{E - I}

In words: Divide the fund by what you would still have to pay each month after other income.

$R$: the months the fund lasts
$F$: the size of the fund
$E$: your must-pay costs for one month
$I$: money still coming in each month

Income that covers half your costs doubles how long the fund lasts. The cells show months.

Fund size	No other income	A quarter of costs still covered	Half still covered	Three quarters still covered
1 month of costs	1.0	1.3	2.0	4.0
3 months of costs	3.0	4.0	6.0	12.0
6 months of costs	6.0	8.0	12.0	24.0
12 months of costs	12.0	16.0	24.0	48.0

Jobless benefits are not certain. The rules and the amounts differ by state.

See how long savings could last in the retirement calculator →

Can most Americans cover a $400 emergency bill?

In 2025, 63% of adults said they would pay a surprise $400 bill with cash or its equivalent. The Federal Reserve asks this each year. That share has not moved since 2022. Another 12% said they could not pay it at all. And 55% had savings to cover three months of expenses.

Cash or its equivalent means cash, savings, or a credit card paid off at the next statement.
As of: the survey was taken in October 2025. The Fed published it on May 13, 2026.
These are survey answers about the past. They are not a forecast.

Both shares peaked in 2021.

Survey year	Would cover $400 with cash or its equivalent	Have 3 months of expenses set aside
2013	50%	Not shown
2014	53%	Not shown
2015	54%	47%
2016	56%	48%
2017	59%	50%
2018	61%	51%
2019	63%	53%
2020	64%	55%
2021	68%	59%
2022	63%	54%
2023	63%	54%
2024	63%	55%
2025	63%	55%

How big a bill could adults pay from savings alone in 2025? 70% could pay $500 or more. The other 30% could not.

Largest bill they could pay from savings	Share of adults
Less than $100	18%
$100 to $499	12%
$500 to $999	9%
$1,000 to $1,999	11%
$2,000 to $4,999	12%
$5,000 or more	38%

Who had three months of expenses set aside in 2025? The share rises with age and with income.

Group	Have 3 months set aside
Ages 18 to 29	37%
Ages 30 to 44	49%
Ages 45 to 59	55%
Ages 60 and older	71%
Family income under $25,000	21%
$25,000 to $49,999	39%
$50,000 to $99,999	55%
$100,000 or more	75%

15% had no such fund, but could cover three months by borrowing, selling things or using other savings.
30% could not cover three months by any of those means.
Some people always have money left at the end of the month. Of them, 86% had three months set aside. Of people who never do, 13% did.

How would the other 37% pay the $400 bill? People could pick more than one answer.

How they would pay	Share of all adults
Put it on a credit card and pay it off over time	15%
Borrow from a friend or family member	10%
Sell something	7%
Use money from a bank loan or line of credit	3%
Use a payday loan, deposit advance or overdraft	2%
Would not be able to pay it right now	12%

Emergency fund or pay off debt first?

Both matter, and many people work on both at once. The SEC runs Investor.gov. It says no investment pays off as well as clearing high-interest debt. The CFPB says that without savings, a surprise bill can turn into debt. A small fund first, then extra debt payments, is one common order.

Minimum debt payments are must-pay costs. They are already inside your goal.
Thinking of investing the fund? Stocks can be down on the day you need the cash.

See what a card balance costs with the APR calculator →

See how money for long-term goals could grow with the investment calculator →

Where should I keep my emergency fund?

The CFPB says to keep it somewhere safe, quick to reach, and away from daily spending. A savings account at an insured bank or credit union is one common home. Our high-yield savings page covers rates, safety and taxes in full.

See what a high-yield savings account could pay on your emergency fund →

See how a CD works for money you will not need until a set date →

See how a ladder of Treasury bills comes due month by month with the T-bill calculator →

How to build an emergency fund, and when to use it

Start small and add to the fund on a schedule. The CFPB lists five ways. Build a saving habit. Watch your cash flow. Save one-time money, like a tax refund. Have your bank move money for you. Save through work. Use the fund only for needs you did not plan, then refill it.

Set a first goal, such as $400, then one month of costs.
Pick a monthly amount you can keep up.
Make it automatic, so the money moves on payday.
Keep the fund apart from your spending money.
Refill it after you use it.
Check the goal once a year, since prices and bills change.

What counts as an emergency? The CFPB says to set your own rules ahead of time. A sinking fund is different. It is savings for a bill you know is coming, like new car tires. Keep the two apart.

Prices move the goal. A goal set at the end of 2019 needs about 26% more at the end of 2025. The table uses past US consumer prices (CPI), December to December. It is not a forecast.

Goal last set	Prices up by the end of 2025	A $10,000 goal becomes about
End of 2015	37.0%	$13,700
End of 2019	26.1%	$12,600
End of 2020	24.4%	$12,400
End of 2021	16.2%	$11,600
End of 2022	9.2%	$10,900
End of 2023	5.6%	$10,600
End of 2024	2.7%	$10,300

Some workplace plans have emergency options. As of November 2026, the IRS lists one emergency withdrawal a year. It can be up to $1,000, with no 10% extra tax. The IRS also lists payouts from an emergency savings account linked to a plan. Income tax can still apply. This is not tax advice.

Questions people ask

What is the 3-6-9 rule for emergency funds?

It is a rule of thumb, not a law. It names three sizes: 3, 6 or 9 months of costs. Steady pay and few people relying on you point to fewer months. One income or pay that changes points to more. Writers draw the lines in different ways, and no regulator sets them. Treat it as a rough guide.

Is $10,000 a good emergency fund?

It depends on your must-pay costs. $10,000 covers 5 months at $2,000 a month, about 3 months at $3,000, and 2 months at $5,000. Divide your fund by your own monthly costs to see where you stand.

Is $20,000 too much for an emergency fund?

Not if it matches your costs. $20,000 covers 4 months at $5,000 a month, but 10 months at $2,000 a month. Money past your goal could go to other goals. Cash in savings can lose buying power when prices rise faster than your rate.

Should an emergency fund be based on income or expenses?

This calculator uses expenses, because that is what you would need to pay if your income stopped. The Federal Reserve’s survey also asks about three months of expenses. The SEC’s Investor.gov speaks of up to six months of income, which is often a larger target.

Do jobless benefits or a partner’s pay count?

Yes. Pay from a partner or jobless benefits can lower how much you would draw each month. Enter it as money still coming in to see how much longer the fund would last. Benefit rules differ by state. The Department of Labor says benefits can be paid for up to 26 weeks in most states.

Does this tool count interest?

Only if you type a rate. It starts at 0%, so the first answer is plain arithmetic. Add your account’s APY to count interest. Take a made-up plan that starts with $1,500 and adds $400 a month toward $19,200. A 4% APY moves the finish from month 45 to month 41.

Can I use a credit card or my 401(k) as an emergency fund?

They are a backup, not a fund. A card balance you cannot pay off costs interest. Some retirement plans let you take out money in an emergency. As of November 2026, the IRS allows one such withdrawal a year. It can be up to $1,000, with no 10% extra tax. Income tax can still apply. This is not tax advice.

How often should I update my emergency fund goal?

Once a year is a simple habit. Also check when rent, family or work changes. Prices move the goal too. US consumer prices (CPI) rose about 26% from the end of 2019 to the end of 2025. That is past data, not a forecast. A $10,000 goal set then would need about $12,600 to cover the same bills.

More calculators

T-bill calculatorPrice a Treasury bill at a rate you type, then plan a ladder of bills with dates.High-yield savings calculatorSee how savings and interest add up each month.APR to APY calculatorTurn an APR into APY and a daily rate, or go back.Investment calculatorPick an amount, a time and a real past average rate. See how it could add up.Retirement calculatorTest a plan against every stretch of market history since 1928.Budget calculatorAdd up your pay and your spending. See what is left each month.

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Reviewed by Tavish Sharma, CFA · Last reviewed Nov 12, 2026

Published by Amaltash Advisors LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser

Sources

An essential guide to building an emergency fund, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Savings and Investments, Federal Reserve Board
SHED: adults who would cover a $400 emergency expense using cash or its equivalent, 2013 to 2025, Federal Reserve Board
SHED: adults who have 3 months emergency savings, 2015 to 2025, Federal Reserve Board
Federal Reserve Board issues Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025 report (May 13, 2026), Federal Reserve Board
Save for a Rainy Day, Investor.gov, US Securities and Exchange Commission
Pay Off Credit Cards or Other High Interest Debt, Investor.gov, US Securities and Exchange Commission
State Unemployment Insurance Benefits, US Department of Labor
Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey: weeks unemployed, six series, seasonally adjusted, US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Retirement topics: exceptions to tax on early distributions, Internal Revenue Service
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPIAUCNS), Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)