Income Shock Survival Simulator
Enter your essentials, savings and any severance to see the runway.
Months you can survive
β
Enter values above
Monthly gap while severance lasts
β
Monthly gap after severance
β
Savings used
β
Shortfall after the runway
β
Monthly essentials
β
Worked example
With the default inputs shown below, this calculator returns the following results:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly essentials ($) | 3000 |
| Emergency savings ($) | 15000 |
| Severance or benefits per month ($) | 1200 |
| Months of severance | 3 |
| Job-hunting costs per month ($) | 200 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Months you can survive | 6 months |
| Monthly gap while severance lasts | $2,000 |
| Monthly gap after severance | $3,200 |
| Savings used | $15,000 |
| Shortfall after the runway | $600 |
| Monthly essentials | $3,000 |
Values shown are produced by this page in your browser; change any input to update them.
How to use the Income Shock Survival Simulator
- Monthly essentials ($) β default 3000
- Emergency savings ($) β default 15000
- Severance or benefits per month ($) β default 1200
- Months of severance β default 3
- Job-hunting costs per month ($) β default 200
- Press Calculate to update the results instantly.
Frequently asked questions
Three months is the minimum, six is comfortable and twelve is prudent if you are a single earner, a contractor or in a specialised role that takes time to replace.
Because they usually replace only part of your income and stop after a fixed number of months. The gap after they end is the number that matters.
Housing, food, utilities, insurance, transport, minimum debt payments and childcare. Annual costs should be divided by twelve so nothing is missed.