Useful next calculations
Rates and sources
User-entered cash-runway model. Three and six months are shown as comparison points based on MoneyHelper guidance, not as a personalised savings recommendation.
| Band or figure | Rate |
|---|---|
| Savings | accessible amount entered |
| Monthly need | essential costs minus reliable income |
| Comparison points | 3 / 6 / 12 months |
Source: MoneyHelper — emergency savings. Check the linked guidance and any live quote before acting.
When to use this calculator
- When you need a fast estimate before making a bigger decision.
- When you want to compare a few scenarios using the same assumptions.
- When you need a clearer starting point before using a detailed quote or formal document.
- When you want to sanity-check a figure you have seen elsewhere.
A worked example
These are the example figures the calculator opens with.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Accessible emergency savings (£) | £7,500 |
| Net redundancy, insurance or other one-off support (£) | £0 |
| Immediate one-off emergency costs (£) | £1,000 |
| Essential monthly spending (£) | £2,200 |
For those figures the calculator returns:
- Usable emergency pot: £6,500.00
- Monthly shortfall to fund: £1,600.00
- Estimated runway: 4.06 months
- Runway status: Runway based on entered monthly shortfall
- Gap to 3 months of essential spending: £100.00
- Gap to 6 months: £6,700.00
- Gap to 12 months: £19,900.00
Method & assumptions
This planner calculates the pot available after immediate one-off emergency costs, then divides it by the monthly shortfall between essential spending and reliable income or support. It reports when income covers the entered monthly need rather than inventing an infinite runway.
The three-, six- and twelve-month figures are neutral comparison points. MoneyHelper describes three to six months of essential outgoings as a rule of thumb, but a useful buffer depends on job security, health, dependants, insurance, housing and how quickly money can be accessed.
Do not count uncertain benefits, credit limits or volatile investments as guaranteed cash. If priority bills may be missed, seek free debt or benefits guidance promptly. This tool does not assess entitlement, insurance claims or whether savings should be used ahead of debt repayment.
Common mistakes
- Using optimistic assumptions without testing a more cautious scenario.
- Comparing outputs from different tools without checking that the inputs match.
- Treating the result as a final quote instead of a planning estimate.
- Rounding inputs too aggressively.
What to do next
- Try at least one more scenario so you can compare a realistic range.
- Use the related calculators below to cross-check the decision from another angle.
- Write down the key outputs from your best scenarios before you decide.
- If the result surprises you, change one input at a time to isolate the driver.