Work out how big your safety cushion should be - and how long until it's full.
Essential monthly expenses multiplied by your months of cover.
Target minus what you already have set aside.
How many months of steady saving close the gap.
The classic answer is 3 to 6 months of essential expenses - rent, groceries, utilities, insurance, minimum debt payments. Not your full lifestyle: the fund's job is to keep the lights on while you handle a job loss, a medical surprise or a broken laptop, not to fund subscriptions.
Three months suits stable salaried jobs and dual-income households; six or more makes sense for freelancers, single earners and anyone whose income arrives in waves. The right number is the one that lets you sleep.
The hard part is knowing your real essential spending - most people guess low. A few weeks of logging expenses in SumiQ gives you the honest number this calculator needs.
