Calculate the minimum amount you could survive on if things got tight, then multiply that amount by three. That is your starting goal for your emergency fund.

Eventually you'll want to save enough to live on for three to six months if you had to.

Write down your expenses from the past few months (look at your debit and credit card bills, your bank statements, etc.)

Next, see what is essential to support your basic needs and what you can cut if you had to.

Some people are disciplined enough to manually set aside "leftover" money at the end of every month into a high-interest savings account. Others take the decision-making out of the equation and automate the entire process. Most banks have a feature that allows you to set up recurring transfers fr...