Emergency Fund Calculator
How much money should you keep aside for a rainy day, and how soon can you get there?
1. Your essential monthly costs
2. Your situation
Your emergency fund target
Keep this money somewhere safe and easy to withdraw, like a separate savings account, sweep-in FD or liquid fund. Not in stocks. This tool is for education only.
Learn more
Why this matters: Keep 6 months of expenses before chasing high returns. Next step on your Money Journey: get rid of costly debt.
How to use this calculator
- Fill in your essential monthly costs: rent or home EMI, groceries, bills, other EMIs, school fees and items like transport and medicines.
- Pick your income type: stable salaried, private job with some layoff risk, or business and variable income.
- Pick how many people depend on your income.
- Enter the emergency savings you already have and how much you can set aside each month.
- Read your essential costs, the months of cover suggested for you, and your target. The bar shows how much of the target you already have.
How the cover is worked out
Everyone starts at 3 months. Less steady income adds 3 or 6 months. Dependents add 1.5 or 3 months. The result is rounded and kept between 3 and 12 months.
Worked example
Anjali works in a private job with some layoff risk. Two people depend on her. Her essential costs are ₹12,000 rent, ₹8,000 groceries, ₹2,500 bills, ₹3,000 school fees and ₹3,500 for transport and medicines.
That is ₹29,000 a month. The calculator suggests 8 months of cover, so her target is ₹2,32,000.
She already has ₹60,000, which is 26% of the target or about 2.1 months of costs. She needs ₹1,72,000 more.
Saving ₹6,000 a month, she gets there in about 2 years 5 months. The tool notes that ₹7,500 a month would get her there in 2 years.
Tips
- Count only essentials. This fund is for job loss, illness or urgent repairs, not holidays.
- Keep it somewhere safe and easy to withdraw, such as a separate savings account.
- Set an automatic transfer on salary day so saving happens first.
- Refill the fund after you use it.
Questions people ask
Why is my target more than 6 months?
Variable income or more dependents raise the cover, because a gap in income would hit harder.
Should I build this before investing?
Many people build it first, so a sudden expense does not force them to borrow. Once it is in place, the SIP calculator can help you learn the maths. Speak to a SEBI-registered adviser before choosing any investment.
Is any of my data saved?
No. The calculation runs in your browser as you type, and nothing is stored.
This content is for general education only and is not financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Please consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.