Banking site Bankrate.com has a simple table you can use to calculate how much money to sock away for emergencies. Emergency funds are like hard drive backups: Everyone knows they should have one, but few people do. Bankrate recommends creating a special account that you don't touch, except to pad it with 3-6 months' worth of expenses. Which only makes sense: If you were in a car accident or something and couldn't work for a few months, the last thing you'd want to worry about is paying the electric bill. We've looked at other emergency fund recommendations in the past, but it's hard to beat Bankrate's super-simple calculation table. Haven't started an emergency fund yet? There's no time like the present. — Rick Broida Creating an emergency fund [Bankrate.com via The Consumerist]