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🛟 How many months could your savings cover?

This calculator estimates your "runway" — how long your current savings would cover your essential bills if your income stopped today. Fill in the three fields below, pick a target (3, 6, or 12 months is typical), and the panel on the right updates instantly. Everything runs right in your browser — nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

Your numbers

Drag each slider or type a number directly into the box on the right. Rough estimates are fine — you can always come back and adjust.

Rent, groceries, insurance, minimum debt payments — the bills that don't stop, even without income. Leave out non-essentials like dining out or subscriptions.
Cash set aside specifically for a job loss or income gap — not retirement accounts, investments, or general checking balance.
What's realistically left over after essentials, not a stretch goal. This is used to estimate when you'll hit your target.

4. Choose your target runway

Pick how many months of coverage you're aiming for. This sets the goal line on the runway chart.

Not sure which to pick? Many financial educators point to 3–6 months of essential expenses as a common starting benchmark. Your own right number depends on how stable your income is, whether you have dependents, and what other safety nets you have.

Your results

Building

Each lit segment below is one month of essential expenses your current savings would cover. The marker shows your goal; the dot shows where you stand today.

036912+
Runway now
0.0 mo
Add your numbers to begin.
Left to save
$0
to reach your goal
At this pace
—
until goal is reached

Why this matters

Ways to extend your runway faster

  • Automate a transfer the day you're paid, before it can get spent elsewhere.
  • Route windfalls — tax refunds, bonuses — straight into the fund.
  • Keep it in a separate account you don't check daily, but that's still liquid.

Keep it separate from your forecast

This fund is your backstop if things go sideways — a layoff, a medical bill, a slow month for freelance income. Once it's funded, extra cash is usually better aimed at debt or your regular budget.

Want the fuller picture?

This calculator is a quick snapshot. SafetyLever's forecaster maps your actual paychecks, bills, and one-time costs 12 months out, so you can see exactly when a low balance is coming — not just how many months your current savings would last.

Get Started — $5/mo