Start freeEmergency fund

Emergency fund calculator

Find out how much you need put away to sleep at night: enter your essential spending and your current savings, and see how many months you cover today and how much you're short. Free and no sign-up.

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Work out your emergency fund

We multiply your essential spending by the months you want to cover and compare it with what you already have saved.

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months
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An emergency fund is measured every month, not once

You already know how much you need. What decides whether you get there is seeing the progress and noticing when you dip into it without realising: mPF watches your cushion and tells you if it drops.

Track my fund in the appSee how much I can save each month

Gratis y sin tarjeta. Se abre en el navegador — también está en iPhone y Android.

01

What an emergency fund is (and what it isn't)

It's money set aside exclusively for serious unexpected events: losing your income, a major breakdown, a medical expense. It's not for holidays or for deals you don't want to miss. Its job isn't to earn a return: it's to stop an unexpected event forcing you into debt or into selling investments at the worst moment.

  • It covers serious surprises, not urgent whims
  • It stops a bump becoming a debt
  • It's measured in months of essential spending, not a magic figure
02

How many months do I need?

The usual benchmark is between 3 and 6 months of essential spending. With stable income and few commitments, 3 months can be enough; with variable income, a family depending on you or if you're self-employed, get closer to 6 or more. Note that the sum is on essential spending: what you'd need to spend if things went badly, not your full current lifestyle.

  • Stable job and no dependants: around 3 months
  • Variable income or self-employed: 6 months or more
  • A family depending on you: better to err on the cautious side
03

Where to keep it and how to build it

It has to be available in hours, not weeks: a separate account from your day-to-day one (interest-bearing if possible) is the natural home. Don't put it in the stock market: volatility is exactly what you don't want in money you might need tomorrow. And build it in stages: a first cushion of €1,000 already separates you from most nasty surprises; after that, automate a monthly transfer until you hit your target.

  • A separate, available account, better if it pays interest
  • No stock market and no products with exit penalties
  • First milestone: €1,000; then an automatic monthly transfer
04

Your fund, watched without effort

mPF connects your accounts and shows you on one screen how much you have available, how much you really spend each month and how your savings goal is going, with alerts if the cushion drops.

  • Your real liquidity, always in view
  • An emergency fund goal with tracking
  • Alerts if you dip into the cushion

Frequently asked questions

3 or 6 months? What does it depend on?

On how stable your income is and who depends on you. Fixed income and no dependants: 3 months usually does it. Self-employed, variable income or a family depending on you: 6 months or more. If in doubt, start with a target of 3 and extend it once you get there.

Where do I keep the emergency fund?

In an account separate from your day-to-day current account, immediately available and with no fees; interest-bearing is better, because it offsets part of inflation. The key is that it's far enough away not to spend it and close enough to have it the same day.

Wouldn't it be better to invest that money?

No. The emergency fund isn't after a return, it's after being there when you need it. If you invest it and the market falls just when the surprise arrives, your cushion shrinks at the worst possible moment. Invest the money that comes after the fund is complete.

What counts as a real emergency?

Losing income, a breakdown that can't wait, health, an unforeseen expense that can't be postponed. Sales, a trip or a last-minute present don't: that's what the wants part of your budget is for. If it helps as a rule: an emergency is what you didn't choose and can't wait.

Fund first or pay debts first?

A minimum cushion (around €1,000) comes first, so that any surprise doesn't generate new debt. After that, prioritise clearing expensive debts (cards, quick loans) and complete the fund to 3-6 months once those debts are under control.

Would you rather start gently?

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