Emergency fund calculator

Your essential monthly costs times the months you want covered. See how far your savings already go.

  1. Enter your essential costs
  2. Pick months of cover
  3. See your target and timeline

Your figures

What you would still pay if your income stopped: housing, food, bills, transport, insurance, minimum repayments.

Add it up by category

Fills in the total above. Placeholders are the guide’s example household.

Months of cover

Moneysmart suggests 3 months. Variable income or dependants often mean more.

Assumptions0% interest after tax · costs rise 2.5% a yearChange

0% leaves interest out.

The target grows with it while you save. 2.5% is the middle of the RBA's 2 to 3% inflation target.

Your emergency fund target

$11,400

$3,800 a month× 3 months= $11,400

Months covered0.5 of 3

$9,400 to go: about 1 year 8 months at $500 a month.

  • +$100 a month → 3 months sooner
  • Within 12 months → about $808 a month

Estimates only, from the figures you entered.

An estimate from the figures you enter, for planning a cash buffer. It does not know your income, tax or entitlements, and it does not suggest where to keep the money.

How this is calculated

Target = essential costs a month × months of cover. Months covered = saved ÷ essential costs a month. Essential means what you would still pay if your income stopped; eating out, subscriptions and travel are left out.

Time to build adds your monthly amount month by month until the balance meets the target. The target rises with essential costs (2.5% a year by default), and interest is left out unless you add an after-tax rate. A target two or more years away is also shown in today’s dollars.

Moneysmart suggests three months as a good target; less secure income, one income or dependants often lead people to choose more. It ignores tax, one-off costs and any entitlements, and assumes the money stays put. More in the emergency fund guide.

Default assumptions last checked .Every one of them can be changed above.

See your real numbers, not estimates.

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