Emergency Fund Calculator for Freelancers
By Simon Austerberry, Founder of Quarterday
Work out how many months of bills your savings cover. See what 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of cover cost.
Quarterday calls this your runway: the number of months you could pay your bills if your income stopped.
Your bills and your savings change each month. Quarterday works out your runway from your real accounts, and updates it as they change.
What to put in your monthly spending figure
- Rent or mortgage.
- Council tax and utilities.
- Food.
- Transport.
- Insurance.
- Loan and credit repayments.
- Childcare.
Leave out anything you could stop in a quiet month.
Do not count money you have already set aside for tax. That money is committed, so it is not part of your reserve either.
Ready to see your real runway?
Quarterday tracks your accounts, your bills and your tax for you. It shows the months of cover you have now, and the month it runs low.
What this calculator assumes
- Your monthly spending is the same each month.
- Your income stops completely.
- You enter the money you can reach today.
- Your savings earn no interest.
- Inflation is not included.
- Money set aside for tax is not part of your reserve.
- The figure is one division. It is not a month-by-month plan.
What this calculator does not include
This calculator does not include tax on money you draw from your company, interest, inflation, benefits, an income protection payout, a partner's income, a credit facility, a mortgage holiday, or a month-by-month projection of your accounts.
This calculator gives an estimate from the figures you enter.
See Quarterday for a runway that tracks your real accounts.
Updated 22 Sep 2026