Because life is unpredictable and a major expense is one accident away, popular wisdom maintains that all adults should have an emergency fund. Arbiters of such conventional advice claim these emergency funds should be stocked with three to six months’ worth of expenses. But this threshold can be unattainable — and perhaps unrealistic, especially for young people just starting out or for those living on lower incomes.

“It’s just an impossible amount for a lot of people,” says Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert at NerdWallet, “and can just feel so overwhelming that you don’t take any steps at all, and you just think, I can’t make any sort of emergency fund.”

Even saving a couple hundred bucks can be a huge burden for many people. Only 41 percent of Americans over 18 say they would pay for an unexpected expense — like $1,000 for an emergency room visit or car repair — from their savings, according to Bankrate’s 2025 Emergency Savings Report. (Others said they would borrow money or put the expense on a credit card.) Meanwhile, 27 percent of adults have no emergency savings, as of May 2024.

In reality, any amount you’re able to save is better than nothing. But what if you’ve just gotten your first job and are starting from scratch? Or what if you’re living paycheck to paycheck? Should you prioritize paying down debt over an emergency fund? Given all the competing demands on our finances, here’s how to really kick off your emergency fund, according to the experts.

Write a list of your financial priorities

Chances are, an emergency fund isn’t your only pressing financial matter. You’ve got bills to pay, a retirement account to contribute to, perhaps........

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