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How big should my emergency fund be?

An emergency fund is measured in months, not dollars — it's however long you could keep the lights on with no income. Add up what you'd actually have to keep paying, and see how long it takes to get there.

Essential monthly expenses

MUST PAY
$
$
$
$
$
$

Only what you couldn't stop paying if income disappeared.

Your situation and savings

PROGRESS
$
$
%
🧮

Enter your essential monthly expenses to size your fund.

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Three to six months of what, exactlyA written guide to the rules behind this calculator →
For educational purposes only. Include only essential expenses you could not cut — streaming subscriptions and dining out are not part of a survival budget. Keep emergency savings somewhere liquid and federally insured; this money's job is availability, not return.