How do I work out how long my savings will last?

Divide total accessible savings by your essential monthly spend. The result is your worst-case runway in months. Add expected income (notice pay, redundancy, partner income, freelance shifts) and the runway extends. Subtract discretionary spend you'll keep and the runway shortens. The arithmetic is simple; the data quality is what matters.

What counts as accessible savings?

Anything you can convert to cash in days without penalty: current accounts, easy-access savings, premium bonds, and stocks-and-shares ISAs (the latter at whatever the market level is). Pensions, locked-in fixed-rate accounts and property are not accessible savings in this sense, even if you own them.

Should I include partner income in the runway maths?

Yes if it actually pays the bills. The household runway is the meaningful figure. If you live alone, your runway is your runway. If your partner earns enough to cover essential household spend, your savings only need to cover discretionary and shocks, which extends your runway substantially.

What's a sensible runway target?

Three to six months of essential spend for a stable employee in a healthy sector. Six to twelve months for senior or specialist roles. Twelve months or more if you're considering a career switch or freelancing. The right number is the one that lets you make the next decision without financial panic.

How Long Will My Savings Last? UK Calculator + Worked Examples (2026)

The headline formula

Worst-case runway, in months, equals total accessible savings divided by essential monthly outgoings. £18,000 of accessible savings on £1,800 of essential spend gives 10 months. The formula assumes zero income, zero discretionary spend, and no shocks. It is a floor figure.

The realistic runway is shorter, because most households retain some discretionary spend, and longer, because most households have some income (a partner, notice pay, redundancy, freelance shifts, benefits). Both adjustments matter. The floor figure is the safety check; the realistic figure is the planning number.

The inputs that change the answer

Accessible savings

Cash, easy-access savings, premium bonds and stocks and shares ISAs. Pensions and locked-in fixed-rate accounts are not accessible without penalty. House equity is not accessible without selling or remortgaging. Use the figure you could realistically have in your current account this week.

Essential monthly spend

The non-negotiable outgoings: housing, council tax, utilities, food, essential insurance, childcare, minimum debt repayments. The monthly expenses checklist on this site lists the categories.

Expected income

Notice pay, redundancy, severance, partner income, rental income, freelance shifts, benefits. Net of tax. Subtract this from monthly spend to get the net monthly burn rate.

Discretionary spend you will keep

Sustainable discretionary is what you would comfortably live on for the runway period. Add it to essential to get the realistic monthly burn.

Worked example 1: cautious employee

Maya, 32, salaried, no dependants. Accessible savings £14,000. Essential monthly spend £1,650 (rent £700, council tax £170, utilities £150, food £400, insurance £40, debt £190). No discretionary commitments she would not cut.

Floor runway: £14,000 ÷ £1,650 = 8.5 months. With £400 per month sustainable discretionary, the realistic burn is £2,050 and the runway is 6.8 months. Either figure is comfortable for a standard professional job search in a healthy sector.

Worked example 2: family, partner income

Dave, 41, two children. Accessible savings £22,000. Household essential spend £3,400 (mortgage £1,150, council tax £230, utilities £270, food £700, insurance £150, childcare £500, minimum debt £400). Partner net income £2,600 per month, expected to continue.

Net household burn after partner income: £3,400 minus £2,600 = £800 per month. Floor runway: £22,000 ÷ £800 = 27.5 months. The partner income dominates the maths; what looks like a moderate savings buffer is actually a comfortable 18+ months of cushion.

Worked example 3: senior solo, switching career

Priya, 48, divorced, considering a switch to self-employed consultancy. Accessible savings £45,000. Essential monthly spend £2,900 (mortgage £1,150, council tax £190, utilities £210, food £450, insurance £200, debt £300, health £80, professional indemnity £320).

Floor runway with no income: £45,000 ÷ £2,900 = 15.5 months. Realistic with £500 sustainable discretionary and expected freelance income of £1,200 per month from month four: roughly 23 months. Comfortable for a measured switch into a new market.

What lengthens the runway

Cutting discretionary spend hard in the first three months (often 20 to 30% of total spend). Renegotiating fixed costs (utilities, broadband, insurance, mobile). Securing partial income (part-time work, freelance shifts, gig economy). Applying for benefits on day one (Universal Credit, new-style JSA, council tax reduction). Pausing pension contributions (a short-term lever, not a long-term plan).

What shortens the runway

Shocks: car repairs, boiler failures, vet bills, one-off legal fees. Drift: subscriptions creeping back, eating out at pre-redundancy levels, holiday plans not cancelled. Lifestyle inflation: bigger food shops, premium streaming, more impulse purchases. Reviewing monthly catches all of these.

Targets by role and sector

A reasonable target is three to six months of essential spend for a stable employee in a healthy sector. Six to twelve months for senior or specialist roles where the search will be slower. Twelve months or more if considering a career switch, freelance start-up or extended retraining.

For deeper looks, see the redundancy runway calculator (with redundancy pay added) and the can I afford to quit calculator (before resigning).

Useful calculators

Authority resources

From the same cluster

Frequently asked questions

How do I work out how long my savings will last?: Divide total accessible savings by your essential monthly spend. The result is your worst-case runway in months. Add expected income (notice pay, redundancy, partner income, freelance shifts) and the runway extends. Subtract discretionary spend you'll keep and the runway shortens. The arithmetic is simple; the data quality is what matters.
What counts as accessible savings?: Anything you can convert to cash in days without penalty: current accounts, easy-access savings, premium bonds, and stocks-and-shares ISAs (the latter at whatever the market level is). Pensions, locked-in fixed-rate accounts and property are not accessible savings in this sense, even if you own them.
Should I include partner income in the runway maths?: Yes if it actually pays the bills. The household runway is the meaningful figure. If you live alone, your runway is your runway. If your partner earns enough to cover essential household spend, your savings only need to cover discretionary and shocks, which extends your runway substantially.
What's a sensible runway target?: Three to six months of essential spend for a stable employee in a healthy sector. Six to twelve months for senior or specialist roles. Twelve months or more if you're considering a career switch or freelancing. The right number is the one that lets you make the next decision without financial panic.

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