Emergency Fund Calculator

Plan your savings with clarity.
This calculator helps you estimate how much you need to set aside each month or week to reach a specific savings goal by a chosen date. You can also include an expected return if you plan to invest your savings over time.

Education-only. Figures are illustrative, not guarantees.

Emergency fund calculator

Work out a sensible emergency fund range based on your essential monthly costs and how stable your income is.

Your essential monthly expenses

Include essentials only: housing, bills, food, transport, debt minimums, childcare (if needed).

Income stability More variable income usually means a bigger buffer.

Do you financially support dependants?

Housing situation

Any high-interest debt you’re currently paying? If yes, building a smaller buffer first and tackling the debt is often higher priority.

Education-only. This tool gives a planning estimate (not personalised financial advice). Emergency funds are usually held in accessible cash, not long-term investments, because the priority is availability when life happens.

Your emergency fund range

Based on your inputs, a sensible target is:

£— to £—

— months of essentials

Lower end (minimum buffer)

£—

Upper end (more resilient buffer)

£—

How we’re thinking about it

—

Minimum rule of thumb

As a general guideline, many people aim for a minimum emergency fund of around £3,000, even if the calculated range is lower.