{"id":415827,"date":"2021-10-21T14:04:22","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T13:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?p=415827"},"modified":"2026-03-24T11:20:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T11:20:22","slug":"emergency-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund","title":{"rendered":"Emergency fund: What it is and how to build one"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A poll by The Times shows that a third of those considered middle-class would not be able to pay an unexpected bill of \u00a3500 without having to borrow. An emergency fund helps by giving a safety net to fall on when the unexpected happens.<\/p><div class=\"keyTakeaways\">\n  <div class=\"keyTakeaways__header\">\n          <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"32\" height=\"21\" viewbox=\"0 0 314.16 201.03\" fill=\"none\">\n  <path d=\"M212.32,190.62c-19.66,0-38.8-6.44-54.42-18.24-15.63,11.79-34.77,18.24-54.42,18.24-49.84,0-90.39-40.55-90.39-90.39V9.83h199.24c49.84,0,90.39,40.55,90.39,90.39s-40.55,90.39-90.39,90.39Z\" fill=\"white\"><\/path>\n  <path d=\"M212.32,15.9c46.57,0,84.33,37.75,84.33,84.33h0c0,46.57-37.75,84.33-84.33,84.33h0c-20.75,0-39.74-7.51-54.42-19.94-14.69,12.43-33.68,19.94-54.42,19.94h0c-46.57,0-84.33-37.75-84.33-84.33V15.9h193.18M212.32,3.76H7.01v96.46c0,53.19,43.27,96.46,96.46,96.46,19.47,0,38.46-5.92,54.43-16.84,15.96,10.91,34.95,16.84,54.42,16.84,53.19,0,96.46-43.27,96.46-96.46S265.51,3.76,212.32,3.76h0Z\" fill=\"#232320\"><\/path>\n  <path d=\"M216.34,90.21c.19-1.69,1.76-2.87,3.43-2.6,11.91,1.94,22.41-7.31,20.93-20.1-.45-3.93-2.28-6.56-4.43-9.31-1.05-1.35-.74-3.34.71-4.26,15.6-9.82,31.64-1.91,40.78,13.29,11.21,18.64,11.54,47.15.53,65.94-15.41,26.3-42.91,23.48-56.04-3.04-6.09-12.29-7.47-26.4-5.92-39.93Z\" fill=\"#232320\"><\/path>\n  <path d=\"M105.92,90.21c.19-1.69,1.76-2.87,3.43-2.6,11.91,1.94,22.41-7.31,20.93-20.1-.45-3.93-2.28-6.56-4.43-9.31-1.05-1.35-.74-3.34.71-4.26,15.6-9.82,31.64-1.91,40.78,13.29,11.21,18.64,11.54,47.15.53,65.94-15.41,26.3-42.91,23.48-56.04-3.04-6.09-12.29-7.47-26.4-5.92-39.93Z\" fill=\"#232320\"><\/path>\n<\/svg>        <h3 data-toc=\"false\">Key takeaways<\/h3>\n  <\/div>\n\n    <ul>\n          <li>A general rule of thumb is to aim to have 3\u20136 months\u2019 worth of living expenses in an emergency savings account.<\/li>\n          <li>If you put your savings in an account that earns interest, it should keep growing over time.<\/li>\n          <li>An easy-access account is recommended so that you can withdraw the money at any time without any penalties.<\/li>\n          <li>You can compare <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/\">easy-access savings accounts<\/a> that you could use for your emergency fund.<\/li>\n          <li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts\/high-interest-current-account\">current account with high-interest<\/a> also gives easy access to your funds.<\/li>\n      <\/ul>\n\n  \n  <\/div>\n<h3>What is an emergency fund?<\/h3><p>An emergency fund is a financial safety net you can rely on if a major unexpected event happens in your life. At the same time, it can help you earn interest and reach your financial goals. Unlike rainy day funds that aren\u2019t meant for smaller, one-off expenses, an emergency fund is there to help in significant times of crisis. People commonly use emergency funds for:<\/p><ul><li>Job loss<\/li><li>Major illness or injury<\/li><li>Major home repairs caused by natural disasters, water leaks, mould, etc.<\/li><\/ul><h3>Where to keep my emergency fund?<\/h3><p>You could choose a standard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/easy-access-savings\">easy-access savings account<\/a> but often it is easier to open an account using one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/digital-banking\/challenger-banks-list\">new digital banks<\/a>. There are a number of easy access banking apps where you can keep your emergency fund and have instant access to it. <\/p><h4>Banking apps that offer easy access accounts<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n                                                                                                    \n\n                \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<style>\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr { display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-basis: 0; flex-grow: 1; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox th { border-bottom: 0px; width: 100%; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; font-size: 14px; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox td { border-bottom: 0px; width: 100%; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px;  }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox td svg.luna-icon--medium { height: 24px; width: 24px; }\n.best-hero .luna-button--success { white-space: normal; line-height: 1.2; }\n@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tbody { display: flex; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox th { text-align: center; line-height: 16px !important; padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox td { flex-grow: 1; align-content: center; text-align: center; line-height: 20px !important; padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px;  }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:first-of-type td, .best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:first-of-type th { padding-left: 0px !important; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:last-of-type td, .best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:last-of-type th { padding-right: 0px !important; }\n}\n<\/style><div class=\"best-hero\" id=\"best-hero-0e1b011e99ac4d7283d094c3433afbc2\"><article class=\"luna-card luna-card--border\"><div class=\"luna-card__block no-padding-top no-padding-right no-padding-bottom no-padding-left\"><div class=\"u-grid u-grid--gutterCollapse\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-3\/4@m u-2\/3@s\"><div class=\"has-padding-small\"><div class=\"u-grid u-grid--alignMiddle has-padding-bottom-xsmall\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/3 u-1\/4@m u-1\/5@l\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/66ed2c547ad3d.png\" width=\"140\" height=\"88\" alt=\"Revolut Standard\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/66ed2c547ad3d.png?fit=180 180w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/66ed2c547ad3d.png?fit=360 360w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/66ed2c547ad3d.png?fit=420 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 28vw, 420px\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-3\/4@m u-2\/3\"><p class=\"no-margin-bottom u-font--bold\" style=\"font-size: 22px; line-height: 27px;\">\nRevolut Standard<\/p><span class=\"alignleft\" style=\"font-weight: 1000; color:#000; font-size: 1.6em;\"><span class=\"scoreCombined score__container finder-score\" style=\"justify-content: center;\"><span class=\"score__badge score__badge--great\"><span class=\"score__value\">8.9<\/span><\/span><span class=\"score__text-wrapper score__text score__text--great persist\" style=\"display: flex;\">\nGreat\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"is-hidden@s has-margin-bottom-small hotstats\"><div data-category=\"\" data-niche=\"UKFSA-CUR\" data-fieldset=\"bestpage_hotstats\" class=\"UKFSA-CUR bestpage_hotstats \"><table class=\"i_infobox product_infobox\"><tbody><tr><th>Minimum opening balance<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Account fees<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Interest (AER)<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">0% AER<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>\n\n<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/redirect\/uk\/savings-accounts\/revolutstandard-uk-secure.html?nb=1&amp;src_country=uk&amp;redirect_tracking_params=%7B%22placement_type%22%3A%22product_link%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Go%2Bto%2Bsite%22%2C%22site%22%3A%22UKFSA-CUR%22%2C%22class%22%3A%22luna-button%2Bluna-button--success%2Bluna-button--fluid%2Bhas-margin-top-xsmall%2Bhas-margin-bottom-xsmall%22%2C%22offer_id%22%3A%2221270%22%2C%22niche_code%22%3A%22UKFSA-CUR%22%2C%22product_id%22%3A%220e1b011e-99ac-4d72-83d0-94c3433afbc2%22%2C%22product_name%22%3A%22Revolut%2BStandard%22%2C%22provider_id%22%3A%229a6f2149-3d31-4773-afb0-5e54d6ddac12%22%2C%22provider_name%22%3A%22Revolut%22%2C%22post_id%22%3A%22415827%22%2C%22post_path%22%3A%22savings-accounts%252Femergency-fund%22%2C%22post_country%22%3A%22uk%22%2C%22partial%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A543031%2C%22name%22%3A%22ukfin_best_hero%22%2C%22country%22%3A%22uk%22%7D%7D\" class=\"luna-button luna-button--success luna-button--fluid has-margin-top-xsmall has-margin-bottom-xsmall\">Go to site<\/a>\n    \n<a class=\"luna-button luna-button--primary luna-button--ghost luna-button--fluid has-margin-top-xsmall has-margin-bottom-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts\/revolut-review\">Read review<\/a><\/div><p>Revolut's savings account has instant access, no minimum deposits and can be opened and managed all at the touch of a button. Available to all Revolut customers, even those on its standard plan, you can access your savings whenever you need them through the app. Interest depends on which Revolut plan you have, but it's paid daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n  <ul class=\"luna-accordionGroup accordionGroup\">    <li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000000\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000000\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">Pros and cons<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000000\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\">    <div class=\"u-grid\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><p class=\"u-font--bold\">Pros<\/p><ul class=\"list-4\"><li>Low overseas fees<\/li><li>Quick sign-up<\/li><li>Earn cashback on spending<\/li><li>Set budgets for financial goals<\/li><li>Virtual cards for online purchases<\/li><li>Easy to transfer money internationally<\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><p class=\"u-font--bold\">Cons<\/p><ul class=\"list-13\"><li>1% currency conversion charge on weekend spending abroad<\/li><li>Free cash withdrawals in the UK and abroad both limited to \u00a3200 per month<\/li><li>Cannot deposit cash or cheques into the account<\/li><li>Charged a fee to receive your bank card<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li>    <li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000001\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000001\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">More details<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000001\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\">    <div data-category=\"\" data-niche=\"UKFSA-CUR\" data-fieldset=\"bestpage\" class=\"UKFSA-CUR bestpage \"><table class=\"i_infobox product_infobox\"><tbody><tr><th>Minimum opening balance<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Switch service guarantee<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">No<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Account fees<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Overseas card transactions<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">0% <span class=\"table-popover\" rel=\"popover\" data-content=\"There is no charge for debit card transactions in foreign currency outside the UK.\" title=\"More info\" data-original-title=\"\" tabindex=\"0\"><\/span><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li>  <\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/4@m u-1\/3@s box no-margin-bottom is-hidden is-visible@s\"><div class=\"has-padding-small\"><div class=\"hotstats has-margin-bottom-small\"><div data-category=\"\" data-niche=\"UKFSA-CUR\" data-fieldset=\"bestpage_hotstats\" class=\"UKFSA-CUR bestpage_hotstats \"><table class=\"i_infobox product_infobox\"><tbody><tr><th>Minimum opening balance<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Account fees<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Interest (AER)<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">0% AER<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/div>\n<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/redirect\/uk\/savings-accounts\/revolutstandard-uk-secure.html?nb=1&amp;src_country=uk&amp;redirect_tracking_params=%7B%22placement_type%22%3A%22product_link%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Go%2Bto%2Bsite%22%2C%22site%22%3A%22UKFSA-CUR%22%2C%22class%22%3A%22luna-button%2Bluna-button--success%2Bluna-button--fluid%2Bhas-margin-bottom-xsmall%22%2C%22offer_id%22%3A%2221270%22%2C%22niche_code%22%3A%22UKFSA-CUR%22%2C%22product_id%22%3A%220e1b011e-99ac-4d72-83d0-94c3433afbc2%22%2C%22product_name%22%3A%22Revolut%2BStandard%22%2C%22provider_id%22%3A%229a6f2149-3d31-4773-afb0-5e54d6ddac12%22%2C%22provider_name%22%3A%22Revolut%22%2C%22post_id%22%3A%22415827%22%2C%22post_path%22%3A%22savings-accounts%252Femergency-fund%22%2C%22post_country%22%3A%22uk%22%2C%22partial%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A543031%2C%22name%22%3A%22ukfin_best_hero%22%2C%22country%22%3A%22uk%22%7D%7D\" class=\"luna-button luna-button--success luna-button--fluid has-margin-bottom-xsmall\">Go to site<\/a>\n<a class=\"luna-button luna-button--primary luna-button--ghost luna-button--fluid\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts\/revolut-review\">Read review<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n                                                                                                    \n\n                \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<style>\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr { display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-basis: 0; flex-grow: 1; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox th { border-bottom: 0px; width: 100%; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; font-size: 14px; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox td { border-bottom: 0px; width: 100%; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px;  }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox td svg.luna-icon--medium { height: 24px; width: 24px; }\n.best-hero .luna-button--success { white-space: normal; line-height: 1.2; }\n@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tbody { display: flex; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox th { text-align: center; line-height: 16px !important; padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox td { flex-grow: 1; align-content: center; text-align: center; line-height: 20px !important; padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px;  }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:first-of-type td, .best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:first-of-type th { padding-left: 0px !important; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:last-of-type td, .best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:last-of-type th { padding-right: 0px !important; }\n}\n<\/style><div class=\"best-hero\" id=\"best-hero-5be67640ad1c47c1a0e73c44987b4ea2\"><article class=\"luna-card luna-card--border\"><div class=\"luna-card__block no-padding-top no-padding-right no-padding-bottom no-padding-left\"><div class=\"u-grid u-grid--gutterCollapse\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-3\/4@m u-2\/3@s\"><div class=\"has-padding-small\"><div class=\"u-grid u-grid--alignMiddle has-padding-bottom-xsmall\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/3 u-1\/4@m u-1\/5@l\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/65a12ec2be3f4.png\" width=\"140\" height=\"88\" alt=\"Monzo Current Account\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/65a12ec2be3f4.png?fit=180 180w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/65a12ec2be3f4.png?fit=360 360w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/65a12ec2be3f4.png?fit=420 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 28vw, 420px\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-3\/4@m u-2\/3\"><p class=\"no-margin-bottom u-font--bold\" style=\"font-size: 22px; line-height: 27px;\">\nMonzo Current Account<\/p><span class=\"alignleft\" style=\"font-weight: 1000; color:#000; font-size: 1.6em;\"><span class=\"scoreCombined score__container finder-score\" style=\"justify-content: center;\"><span class=\"score__badge score__badge--excellent\"><span class=\"score__value\">9.3<\/span><\/span><span class=\"score__text-wrapper score__text score__text--excellent persist\" style=\"display: flex;\">\nExcellent\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"is-hidden@s has-margin-bottom-small hotstats\"><div data-category=\"\" data-niche=\"UKFSA-CUR\" data-fieldset=\"bestpage_hotstats\" class=\"UKFSA-CUR bestpage_hotstats \"><table class=\"i_infobox product_infobox\"><tbody><tr><th>Minimum opening balance<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Account fees<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Interest (AER)<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">0% AER<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>\n\n<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/redirect\/uk\/savings-accounts\/monzo-free-account-uk-secure.html?nb=1&amp;src_country=uk&amp;redirect_tracking_params=%7B%22placement_type%22%3A%22product_link%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Go%2Bto%2Bsite%22%2C%22site%22%3A%22UKFSA-CUR%22%2C%22class%22%3A%22luna-button%2Bluna-button--success%2Bluna-button--fluid%2Bhas-margin-top-xsmall%2Bhas-margin-bottom-xsmall%22%2C%22offer_id%22%3A%2225676%22%2C%22niche_code%22%3A%22UKFSA-CUR%22%2C%22product_id%22%3A%225be67640-ad1c-47c1-a0e7-3c44987b4ea2%22%2C%22product_name%22%3A%22Monzo%2BCurrent%2BAccount%22%2C%22provider_id%22%3A%22d6e38f30-245c-4f36-8654-5f6a652c1ddd%22%2C%22provider_name%22%3A%22Monzo%22%2C%22post_id%22%3A%22415827%22%2C%22post_path%22%3A%22savings-accounts%252Femergency-fund%22%2C%22post_country%22%3A%22uk%22%2C%22partial%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A543031%2C%22name%22%3A%22ukfin_best_hero%22%2C%22country%22%3A%22uk%22%7D%7D\" class=\"luna-button luna-button--success luna-button--fluid has-margin-top-xsmall has-margin-bottom-xsmall\">Go to site<\/a>\n    \n<a class=\"luna-button luna-button--primary luna-button--ghost luna-button--fluid has-margin-top-xsmall has-margin-bottom-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts\/monzo-review\">Read review<\/a><\/div><p>Monzo's Savings Pots let you earn interest on your savings, and you can access them whenever you need to, all through your mobile app. What we like about Monzo is its features designed to help you save. It has roundups, where if you spend more than \u00a31, the spare change will be added to your Pot, as well as automated savings and the ability to lock your Pot if you want to avoid dipping into your savings for a period of time. Most importantly, your savings are FSCS protected. <\/p><p>Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of \u00a31,200, you'll be charged interest at 39% EAR variable.<\/p>\n\n\n  <ul class=\"luna-accordionGroup accordionGroup\">    <li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000002\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000002\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">Pros and cons<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000002\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\">    <div class=\"u-grid\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><p class=\"u-font--bold\">Pros<\/p><ul class=\"list-4\"><li>Easy to set up<\/li><li>Good for budgeting and categorising spending<\/li><li>Automatic saving feature<\/li><li>Fee-free spending abroad<\/li><li>Slick app with face login<\/li><li>Overdrafts and loans available<\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><p class=\"u-font--bold\">Cons<\/p><ul class=\"list-13\"><li>Free ATM withdrawals outside the EEA limited to \u00a3200,<\/li><li>\u00a31 fee for depositing cash at PayPoints, <\/li><li>Maximum cash deposit of \u00a31,000 every 6 months<\/li><li>No rewards program<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li>    <li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000003\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000003\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">More details<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000003\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\">    <div data-category=\"\" data-niche=\"UKFSA-CUR\" data-fieldset=\"bestpage\" class=\"UKFSA-CUR bestpage \"><table class=\"i_infobox product_infobox\"><tbody><tr><th>Minimum opening balance<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Switch service guarantee<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">Yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Account fees<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Overseas card transactions<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">0% <span class=\"table-popover\" rel=\"popover\" data-content=\"There is no charge for debit card transactions in foreign currency outside the UK.\" title=\"More info\" data-original-title=\"\" tabindex=\"0\"><\/span><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li>  <\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/4@m u-1\/3@s box no-margin-bottom is-hidden is-visible@s\"><div class=\"has-padding-small\"><div class=\"hotstats has-margin-bottom-small\"><div data-category=\"\" data-niche=\"UKFSA-CUR\" data-fieldset=\"bestpage_hotstats\" class=\"UKFSA-CUR bestpage_hotstats \"><table class=\"i_infobox product_infobox\"><tbody><tr><th>Minimum opening balance<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Account fees<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Interest (AER)<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">0% AER<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/div>\n<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/redirect\/uk\/savings-accounts\/monzo-free-account-uk-secure.html?nb=1&amp;src_country=uk&amp;redirect_tracking_params=%7B%22placement_type%22%3A%22product_link%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Go%2Bto%2Bsite%22%2C%22site%22%3A%22UKFSA-CUR%22%2C%22class%22%3A%22luna-button%2Bluna-button--success%2Bluna-button--fluid%2Bhas-margin-bottom-xsmall%22%2C%22offer_id%22%3A%2225676%22%2C%22niche_code%22%3A%22UKFSA-CUR%22%2C%22product_id%22%3A%225be67640-ad1c-47c1-a0e7-3c44987b4ea2%22%2C%22product_name%22%3A%22Monzo%2BCurrent%2BAccount%22%2C%22provider_id%22%3A%22d6e38f30-245c-4f36-8654-5f6a652c1ddd%22%2C%22provider_name%22%3A%22Monzo%22%2C%22post_id%22%3A%22415827%22%2C%22post_path%22%3A%22savings-accounts%252Femergency-fund%22%2C%22post_country%22%3A%22uk%22%2C%22partial%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A543031%2C%22name%22%3A%22ukfin_best_hero%22%2C%22country%22%3A%22uk%22%7D%7D\" class=\"luna-button luna-button--success luna-button--fluid has-margin-bottom-xsmall\">Go to site<\/a>\n<a class=\"luna-button luna-button--primary luna-button--ghost luna-button--fluid\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts\/monzo-review\">Read review<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n                                                                                                    \n\n                \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<style>\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr { display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-basis: 0; flex-grow: 1; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox th { border-bottom: 0px; width: 100%; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; font-size: 14px; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox td { border-bottom: 0px; width: 100%; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px;  }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox td svg.luna-icon--medium { height: 24px; width: 24px; }\n.best-hero .luna-button--success { white-space: normal; line-height: 1.2; }\n@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tbody { display: flex; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox th { text-align: center; line-height: 16px !important; padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox td { flex-grow: 1; align-content: center; text-align: center; line-height: 20px !important; padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px;  }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:first-of-type td, .best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:first-of-type th { padding-left: 0px !important; }\n.best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:last-of-type td, .best-hero .hotstats .product_infobox tr:last-of-type th { padding-right: 0px !important; }\n}\n<\/style><div class=\"best-hero\" id=\"best-hero-b4955ee22df944fa8c63b0cff8078ce0\"><article class=\"luna-card luna-card--border\"><div class=\"luna-card__block no-padding-top no-padding-right no-padding-bottom no-padding-left\"><div class=\"u-grid u-grid--gutterCollapse\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-3\/4@m u-2\/3@s\"><div class=\"has-padding-small\"><div class=\"u-grid u-grid--alignMiddle has-padding-bottom-xsmall\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/3 u-1\/4@m u-1\/5@l\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/68caa9cbcd7b2.png\" width=\"140\" height=\"88\" alt=\"Starling Current Account\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/68caa9cbcd7b2.png?fit=180 180w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/68caa9cbcd7b2.png?fit=360 360w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/niche-builder\/68caa9cbcd7b2.png?fit=420 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 28vw, 420px\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-3\/4@m u-2\/3\"><p class=\"no-margin-bottom u-font--bold\" style=\"font-size: 22px; line-height: 27px;\">\nStarling Current Account<\/p><span class=\"alignleft\" style=\"font-weight: 1000; color:#000; font-size: 1.6em;\"><span class=\"scoreCombined score__container finder-score\" style=\"justify-content: center;\"><span class=\"score__badge score__badge--excellent\"><span class=\"score__value\">9.8<\/span><\/span><span class=\"score__text-wrapper score__text score__text--excellent persist\" style=\"display: flex;\">\nExcellent\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"is-hidden@s has-margin-bottom-small hotstats\"><div data-category=\"\" data-niche=\"UKFSA-CUR\" data-fieldset=\"bestpage_hotstats\" class=\"UKFSA-CUR bestpage_hotstats \"><table class=\"i_infobox product_infobox\"><tbody><tr><th>Account fees<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Interest (AER)<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">0% AER<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><a class=\"luna-button luna-button--success luna-button--fluid has-margin-top-xsmall has-margin-bottom-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts?filters_preset=1261c70d1c6891fd5f2446dc972774ddde859246886ea09072dedf0264d7f8ad#0000000002\">See deal<\/a><a class=\"luna-button luna-button--primary luna-button--ghost luna-button--fluid has-margin-top-xsmall has-margin-bottom-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts\/starling-bank-review\">Read review<\/a><\/div><p>Starling has an Easy Saver which sits alongside its current account. You can easily transfer money between the two, with no need to give notice and no limit on the number of withdrawals you can make. The Easy Saver is different to Starling's Spaces in that it's a different account, but the benefit is that it pays interest, and if you ever need to access your savings in an emergency, you can instantly make a withdrawal using your app.<\/p><p>Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of \u00a31,200, you'll be charged interest at 15% EAR variable.<\/p>\n\n\n  <ul class=\"luna-accordionGroup accordionGroup\">    <li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000004\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000004\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">Pros and cons<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000004\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\">    <div class=\"u-grid\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><p class=\"u-font--bold\">Pros<\/p><ul class=\"list-4\"><li>Split any bill with a tap<\/li><li>24\/7 customer support<\/li><li>Bill manager &amp; instant alerts<\/li><li>Spaces to help manage your money<\/li><li>No charge from Starling for card use abroad<\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><p class=\"u-font--bold\">Cons<\/p><ul class=\"list-13\"><li>No branch network<\/li><li>No interest on your current account balance<\/li><li>Limited product range compared to other banks<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li>    <li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000005\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000005\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">More details<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000005\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\">    <div data-category=\"\" data-niche=\"UKFSA-CUR\" data-fieldset=\"bestpage\" class=\"UKFSA-CUR bestpage \"><table class=\"i_infobox product_infobox\"><tbody><tr><th>Switch service guarantee<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">Yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Account fees<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Overseas card transactions<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">0% <span class=\"table-popover\" rel=\"popover\" data-content=\"There is no charge for debit card transactions in foreign currency outside the UK.\" title=\"More info\" data-original-title=\"\" tabindex=\"0\"><\/span><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li>  <\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/4@m u-1\/3@s box no-margin-bottom is-hidden is-visible@s\"><div class=\"has-padding-small\"><div class=\"hotstats has-margin-bottom-small\"><div data-category=\"\" data-niche=\"UKFSA-CUR\" data-fieldset=\"bestpage_hotstats\" class=\"UKFSA-CUR bestpage_hotstats \"><table class=\"i_infobox product_infobox\"><tbody><tr><th>Account fees<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">\u00a30<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Interest (AER)<\/th><td class=\"i_infobox_data product_infobox_data\">0% AER<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/div><a class=\"luna-button luna-button--success luna-button--fluid has-margin-bottom-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts?filters_preset=1261c70d1c6891fd5f2446dc972774ddde859246886ea09072dedf0264d7f8ad#0000000002\">See deal<\/a><a class=\"luna-button luna-button--primary luna-button--ghost luna-button--fluid\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts\/starling-bank-review\">Read review<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div><h4>When should I use my emergency savings?<\/h4><p>Emergency funds should be used for major emergencies and not for expenses you forgot to plan for, like birthday gifts, car insurance renewals, taxes, etc.<\/p><p>If you can answer \u201cyes\u201d to these 2 questions, it\u2019s most likely an emergency.<\/p><ol><li>Is this an urgent expense?<\/li><li>Is it unexpected?<\/li><\/ol><h3>5 steps to build an emergency fund<\/h3><p>Here\u2019s a step-by-step guide on how to start an emergency fund.<\/p><ol><li><b>Create a budget.<\/b> You won\u2019t know how much you\u2019ll need to save each month for your emergency fund until you know how much you spend each month. That starts with creating a budget. There are also a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/budgeting\/best-budgeting-app\">number of budgeting apps<\/a> available to download.<\/li><li><b>Decide how much to save.<\/b> If you\u2019re just starting your emergency fund, set a smaller goal of \u00a3500 or \u00a31,000. Once you get there, you can set a higher goal of 3\u20136 months\u2019 of expenses, depending on your needs.<\/li><li><b>Decide where you\u2019ll keep your money.<\/b> Start out with a high-interest paying savings account from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/digital-banking\">digital bank<\/a> or an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/easy-access-savings\">easy access<\/a> account, then decide if you\u2019d like to move some of your savings into a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/stocks-and-shares-isas\">stocks and shares ISA<\/a> once you\u2019ve saved a nice buffer. Just note that you won\u2019t want to move all your funds into a stocks and shares ISA, as you may pay a penalty when you try to access your money for emergencies. Keep all or most of your emergency fund in an accessible place. You will want to avoid a fixed-rate savings account as this will mean locking your money away for an extended period of time.<\/li><li><b>Automate your savings.<\/b> Set your bank accounts up so that part of your paycheque goes to your emergency fund each time you get paid. For example, digital banks like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts\/monzo-review\">Monzo<\/a> let you automatically round up your debit card purchases to the nearest pound and deposit the difference to your bank account. Other banks may let you transfer a percentage of your paycheque straight to savings. If money is tight, start with a small amount like 5%, then work your way up. No amount is too small to start saving. Learn more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/digital-banking\/best-savings-apps\">best savings apps<\/a> and the features that are on offer to help you save.<\/li><li><b>Save away unexpected money.<\/b> Boost your emergency fund by saving any extra money you receive throughout the year, such as birthday or holiday money, work bonuses, tax refunds, credit or debit card rewards and so on.<\/li><\/ol><div class=\"fin-video fin-video--horizontal\" data-player-type=\"youtube\" data-video-id=\"ifk9L621cEI\" style=\"\">\n    <div class=\"fin-video__container\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fin-video__thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/ifk9L621cEI\/maxresdefault.jpg\" data-fallback-sd=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/ifk9L621cEI\/sddefault.jpg\" data-fallback-hq=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/ifk9L621cEI\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\">\n                            <div class=\"fin-video__duration\">9:35<\/div>\n                        <div class=\"fin-video__play-btn\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play video\"><\/div>\n                <iframe allow=\"autoplay\" class=\"fin-video__player\" id=\"ytPlayer-ifk9L621cEI\" title=\"Video player\"><\/iframe>\n    <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3>How much should I keep in my emergency fund?<\/h3><p>Most experts recommend keeping 3\u20136 months of basic expenses in your emergency fund. But this is a general rule of thumb. The most important thing is to save what you can \u2013 whether that\u2019s \u00a350 or \u00a3500 a month.<\/p><h3>3 ways to calculate for an emergency fund<\/h3><p>There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to calculating your emergency fund. Here are 3 possible methods to determine how much you need to tuck away for a rainy day.<\/p><ol><li><strong>Base method.<\/strong> With this method, you\u2019d need to put away \u00a3500 to \u00a31,000 for a few of the most common unexpected expenses like car repairs or a broken washing machine.<\/li><li><strong>Monthly method.<\/strong> Estimate your daily living expenses for 1 month. Multiply that amount by 3 or 6 months to have a nice cushion in your emergency fund. If your income is unstable, consider saving enough to cover expenses for 6 months or more.<\/li><li><strong>Dave Ramsey\u2019s emergency fund. <\/strong>Dave Ramsey, a finance radio show host and author, combines the base and monthly method. He recommends starting with \u00a3700 in your emergency fund until you\u2019ve paid off all of your consumer debt. Then, beef up your fund by saving 3\u20136 months\u2019 worth of expenses.<\/li><\/ol><article class=\"luna-card luna-card--alt\"><div class=\"luna-card__block\"><h4>Example: Emergency fund monthly method calculation<\/h4><p>Here\u2019s how much you might put away using the monthly method after breaking down your monthly expenses:<\/p><table class=\"luna-table luna-table\"><thead class=\"luna-table__header\"><tr><th>Category<\/th><th>Expenses<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody class=\"luna-table__body\"><tr><td>Rent<\/td><td>\u00a31,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Groceries<\/td><td>\u00a3450<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Dining out<\/td><td>\u00a3350<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Car loan<\/td><td>\u00a3200<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Utilities<\/td><td>\u00a3150<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Miscellaneous expenses<\/td><td>\u00a3150<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Car insurance<\/td><td>\u00a3100<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cell phone bill<\/td><td>\u00a375<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Car fuel<\/td><td>\u00a350<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Subscriptions<\/td><td>\u00a315<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Total expenses<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>\u00a32,540<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><p>If your goal is to have 3 months\u2019 worth of expenses stored away, you\u2019d need \u00a37,620 (\u00a32,540 x 3) in your emergency fund. For a more conservative savings plan of 6 months, you\u2019d need \u00a315,240 (\u00a32,540 x 6).<\/p><\/div><\/article><div class=\"newsletter-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"newsletter-signup sticky-mode theme-green\" data-accountcreateflow=\"newsletter\" data-displaydelay=\"0\" data-showformembers=\"1\">\n    <div class=\"signup-grid\">\n                                <div class=\"signup-image\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png\" alt=\"newsletter-image\" class=\"signup-image-img\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png?fit=180 180w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png?fit=360 360w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png?fit=600 600w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png?fit=900 900w, https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/george4.png?fit=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" loading=\"lazy\">\n            <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"signup-content\">\n                <div class=\"signup-content-left\">\n                    <h2 class=\"signup-header\">Be first to know about new deals<\/h2>\n                                        <p class=\"signup-text\">Sign up to receive the latest deals, tips and a chance to <strong>win \u00a3400!<\/strong> (T&amp;Cs)\n                                            <\/p>\n                                    <\/div>\n                <div class=\"signup-content-right\">\n                    <div class=\"form\">\n                        <div class=\"email-group \">\n                            <label for=\"email-default\" class=\"sr-only\">Email address:<\/label>\n                            <input class=\"email-input\" id=\"email-default\" type=\"email\" placeholder=\"Enter your email\" name=\"email\" data-prefill=\"me.notes.createAccountEmail\">\n                            <button class=\"email-btn\">\n                                <span class=\"btn-text\">Sign up<\/span>\n                                <span class=\"loading-spinner\"><\/span>\n                            <\/button>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <p class=\"error-msg\"><span class=\"error-msg-text\">Error placeholder<\/span> <span class=\"error-msg-sign-in\"> Click <a class=\"error-msg-sign-in-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/user-profile\/sign-in?returnTo=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.finder.com%2Fuk%2Fuk%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F415827\">here<\/a> to sign in<\/span><\/p>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"links\">\n                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/finder.com\/uk\/about-us\/competition-winners\">Winners<\/a> |                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/about-us\/example-email#savings\">Emails<\/a> |                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/communication-preferences\">Unsubscribe<\/a> |                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/privacy-policy\">Privacy<\/a>                                             <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div class=\"hide-btn\">\n            Hide\n            <svg class=\"luna-icon luna-icon--xsmall has-margin-top-xxsmall\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\"><\/use>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h3>What if I\u2019m living paycheque-to-paycheque?<\/h3><p>If money is tight, it might be hard to find some extra cash to support your emergency fund. Instead, focus on what you can save, rather than what you should save. Here are a 4 tips to try to expedite your savings goals:<\/p><ol><li><strong>Evaluate your monthly budget.<\/strong> Take a hard look at your spending and see if there are any areas that you can slim down on your budget. Reallocate those funds toward savings.<\/li><li><strong>Try different savings strategies.<\/strong> Experiment with different savings challenges to find a technique that works for you. For example, the \u00a35 savings trick is to pay for everything in cash and stash away any \u00a35 that you get back in change. Or try the penny challenge, which means you save a penny a day, 2 pence on day 2, 3 pence on day 3 and so on. By the end of the year, you should have put away almost \u00a3500.<\/li><li><strong>Use a rewards card.<\/strong> Opt for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/credit-cards\/rewards-credit-cards\">credit<\/a> or debit card that pays you back for everyday spending. And some cards can help jumpstart your savings with generous signup bonuses.<\/li><li><strong>Open an interest-bearing account.<\/strong> A high-interest paying current or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/high-interest-savings-accounts\">savings account<\/a> rewards you for saving. The more you have in your bank account, the more interest you\u2019ll accumulate.<\/li><li><strong>Switch current account.<\/strong> Banks often run switching deals from time to time and often reward you with a cash incentive for changing your current account. View our guide to see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts\/best-bank-switching-deals\">latest offers on the market<\/a>.<\/li><\/ol><h3>Pros and cons of an emergency fund<\/h3><p>Having an emergency fund comes with a host of benefits, but there are also a few caveats to keep in mind.<\/p><div class=\"fin-pros-cons\">\n            <div class=\"fin-pros-cons__section\">\n            <h4 class=\"fin-pros-cons__heading\">Pros<\/h4>\n            <ul class=\"icon-list icon-list--check-circle\">\n                                    <li><b>Gives you a safety net.<\/b> An emergency fund reduces your chances of having to take on more debt when an unexpected expense pops up.<\/li>\n                                    <li><b>Reduces stress.<\/b> Have peace of mind knowing you have money waiting if you lose your job, develop a serious illness or need to make major home or car repairs.<\/li>\n                                    <li><b>Helps your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/credit-score\">credit score<\/a>.<\/b> An emergency fund doesn't directly improve your credit. But it does help you avoid maxing out on credit cards and worrying about missing payments if hard times hit \u2013 2 factors that can lower your score.<\/li>\n                            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n    \n            <div class=\"fin-pros-cons__section\">\n            <h4 class=\"fin-pros-cons__heading\">Cons<\/h4>\n            <ul class=\"icon-list icon-list--x-circle\">\n                                    <li><b>Takes time to build.<\/b> It could take months or years to build up your emergency fund. You can speed up the process by saving unexpected money and using a budget to reduce expenses. If you need money now, consider an emergency loan as a last resort.<\/li>\n                                    <li><b>Potential withdrawal limits.<\/b> Check if your savings provider limits the number of withdrawals you can make. There may also be limits on how much money you can withdraw at a time.<\/li>\n                                    <li><b>Doesn't work for all account types.<\/b> Avoid keeping your emergency fund in a deposit account where you'll get penalised for accessing it early. Instead, opt for a high-paying savings account from a digital or online bank where you'll have easier access to it.<\/li>\n                            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<h3>Bottom line<\/h3><p>Emergency funds can help you add a buffer between you and the unknown. How much you should save depends on your financial situation and goals. As always, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\">compare savings accounts<\/a> to find one that\u2019s best for your emergency savings.<\/p><h3>Frequently asked questions<\/h3><ul class=\"luna-accordionGroup accordionGroup\"><li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000006\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000006\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">Why should I have an emergency fund?<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000006\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\">An emergency fund gives you a savings cushion to fall back on if a major unexpected event crops up \u2013 for example, if you need to carry out major home repairs following a water leak. Building up an emergency fund will reduce the chances of you having to rely on credit to cover the cost.<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li><li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000007\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000007\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">Where should I keep my emergency fund?<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000007\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\">It\u2019s best to save your money in a high-paying easy access account, so that you can access it at any point without penalty. Once you\u2019ve got enough in there, you could consider saving some cash into a stocks and shares ISA that has the potential to offer higher returns over the long term.<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li><\/ul><div id=\"sources\" style=\"position: relative;\"><h3 style=\"position: absolute; width: 1px; height: 1px; padding: 0; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0,0,0,0); white-space: nowrap; border: 0;\">Sources<\/h3>\n<div id=\"lazy0000000000\"><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/json\" id=\"lazyloaded-assets-json-lazy0000000000\" class=\"lazyloaded-assets-json\">{\"critical-scripts\":[],\"scripts\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.finder.com\\\/parent-theme\\\/shortcodes\\\/article-source\\\/prod\\\/article-source.de087a0da9824e407767.js\"],\"styles\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.finder.com\\\/parent-theme\\\/shortcodes\\\/article-source\\\/prod\\\/article-source.87684078d471e76125dd.css\"]}<\/script><\/div><article class=\"luna-card luna-card--alt\"><div class=\"luna-card__block has-padding-small\">We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms \"best\", \"top\", \"cheap\" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/terms-of-use\" class=\"fin-text-navy\">terms of use<\/a>. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Defaqto. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.<\/div><\/article>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This type of savings account can save you from a lot of financial stress and anxiety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":793,"featured_media":236223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1181],"tags":[95753],"asset_tag":[],"class_list":["post-415827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-savings-accounts","tag-money-post"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.9 (Yoast SEO v24.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Emergency fund: What it is and how to build one | Finder UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An emergency fund gives you a safety net to fall back on if you lose your job or have a major illness. Use these 5 steps to build one.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Emergency fund: What it is and how to build one\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An emergency fund gives you a safety net to fall back on if you lose your job or have a major illness. Use these 5 steps to build one.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Finder UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/findercomuk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-10-21T13:04:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/offshore-accounts-450.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"250\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Cassidy Horton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@findercomUK\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@findercomUK\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Cassidy Horton\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Cassidy Horton\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/b0ef7c59ef20da8d92b8e31db46d1441\"},\"headline\":\"Emergency fund: What it is and how to build one\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-21T13:04:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-10T16:21:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund\"},\"wordCount\":2019,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/offshore-accounts-450.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Savings accounts\"],\"inLanguage\":{\"@type\":\"Language\",\"name\":\"English\",\"alternateName\":\"en\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2021\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/#organization\"},\"citation\":[{\"@type\":\"CreativeWork\",\"name\":\"The Times\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.co.uk\/article\/third-of-middle-classes-too-short-of-cash-to-pay-a-500-bill-lrgc5lb8g\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund\",\"name\":\"Emergency fund: What it is and how to build one | Finder UK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/savings-accounts\/emergency-fund#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.finder.com.au\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/offshore-accounts-450.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-21T13:04:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-10T16:21:19+00:00\",\"description\":\"An emergency fund gives you a safety net to fall back on if you lose your job or have a major illness. 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