How to Build an Emergency Fund as a Solo Mum (Even on One Income)
When It’s All on You:
Why Emergency Funds Matter for Solo Mums
When you’re a solo mum, there’s no backup income. If something goes wrong, it all falls on you. There’s no second wage to cover the bills, no one else to pick up the slack if the car breaks down, the washing machine stops working, or an unexpected school cost pops up. And if you’re anything like me, that can feel really scary.
When I became a solo mum, I suddenly realised just how vulnerable my finances were. After my divorce and court fees were finally paid off, I remember sitting there thinking, What happens if something goes wrong now? I didn’t have a partner to fall back on anymore — it was just me and that lack of stability threw me into action to learn more about my finances.
This was also the moment I knew I needed a backup plan. Some kind of safety net. Something that would protect me and my child if life threw a financial curve ball. And that’s when I discovered emergency funds.
I had heard of emergency funds before, however at the time, I thought emergency funds were only for people who earned loads of money. I didn’t think they were for someone like me, just trying to keep everything together on one income. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.
An emergency fund isn’t about being rich. It’s about feeling safer and as a solo mum and just a parent this made me feel a lot more relaxed. An emergency fund is about knowing that if something unexpected happens, you won’t immediately have to reach for a credit card or panic about how you’ll cope.
In this post, I’m going to gently talk you through what an emergency fund really is, why it’s so important — especially as a solo mum — and how you can start building one, even if money already feels tight.
What Is an Emergency Fund? (In Simple Terms)
An emergency fund is money you set aside just for real, unexpected emergencies. It’s not for treats, days out, birthdays, or Christmas. It’s there for the things you can’t plan for — the moments that make your stomach drop when they happen.
Things like:
The car suddenly needing expensive repairs
The boiler breaking down
A big vet bill
An unexpected school cost
A drop in income
These are the kinds of things that can completely throw your budget off track, especially when you’re managing everything on your own.
Think of an emergency fund as a financial safety blanket. You hope you never need it, but when something goes wrong, it’s there to catch you instead of you falling straight into debt.
It’s not about having thousands sitting in the bank. It’s simply having money put aside that protects you and your child when life doesn’t go to plan.
Emergency Funds vs Sinking Funds
(What’s the Difference?)
This is where many people get confused — and I did too when I first heard about them I thought they were the same thing just called differently. An emergency fund and sinking funds are very different. Here is a basic breakdown.
An emergency fund is for things you can’t predict.
A sinking fund is for things you know are coming.
For example:
Emergency fund is for when the:
Boiler breaks
Car suddenly fails its MOT
Emergency dental treatment
Sinking funds:
Christmas
Birthdays
School uniforms
Car servicing
Holidays
Sinking funds are for planned expenses that don’t happen every month but always happen and often seem to catch us out as life moves very quickly. By saving small amounts regularly for them, they stop becoming “emergencies”.
Your emergency fund is there for the true surprises — the things you couldn’t reasonably prepare for.
Both are important, but they have very different jobs.
If you’d like to learn more about sinking funds and how they can make your budget feel calmer and more in control, I’ve written a separate post all about them, which you can read next.
Why Every Solo Mum Needs an Emergency Fund
As a solo mum, I know just how heavy the financial responsibility can feel. Every bill, every food shop, every unexpected cost — it all comes down to you. There isn’t a second income to soften the blow if something goes wrong, nobody to lean on and that can be really overwhelming.
Before I built an emergency fund, even small surprises felt huge. A letter through the door, an email from school or a strange noise from the car could instantly fill me with anxiety. Not because I was bad with money, but because there was no buffer. If something unexpected happened, I knew it would mean stress, scrambling, juggling money or relying on credit.
That’s why emergency funds became so important to me.
Having an emergency fund doesn’t mean life stops throwing challenges your way they still turn up, however by having an emergency fund it just means you’re not facing them completely unprotected. Even a small amount set aside can stop a situation from turning into a full-blown crisis.
I felt I needed to feel I had a buffer in case anything was to go wrong. This wasn’t about hitting some perfect savings goal. It was about feeling safer. Knowing I had some money set aside if I ever needed it in an emergency and one I could continue to build. It was about knowing that if something happened, I could handle it without everything else falling apart or having sleepless nights doing stress maths.
I know how easily solo mums put themselves last. But an emergency fund isn’t selfish — it’s practical. It’s a way of looking after yourself, your children and your life moving as smoothly as possible when these life events surprise you and you can keep looking after your child.
You don’t need to have loads saved to feel the benefit. Just having a small amount to start and knowing you’re building something, even slowly, can lift a huge weight off your shoulders.
And that feeling — that little bit of calm and control — is exactly why every solo mum deserves to build an emergency fund.
How Much Should You Have in an Emergency Fund?
Now we know what an emergency fund is and why we should have one or at least start one. Let's dive into the practicality of starting one. If you’ve ever searched emergency funds online, you’ve probably seen advice saying you need three to six months’ worth of expenses saved. And if you’re a solo mum, that advice can feel instantly discouraging, because that is a lot of money for one person especially if you are on a low income.
I remember reading that and thinking, How am I supposed to do that when I’m already juggling everything on one income? At that moment I wanted to give up before I even started and continue to bury my head in the sand. Once I read a little further I realised there is actually a step before that.
At Solo Mum to One, I’m much more focused on what’s realistic and doable for real life. You don’t need thousands in the bank for an emergency fund to make a difference. It can be a goal but it is not your short term goal. So I want to gently reassure you — that number is a long-term goal, not where you start.
Instead of thinking big and feeling overwhelmed, it helps to think in stages.
A really good first goal is a £500 starter emergency fund. This alone can cover so many of those smaller emergencies that tend to push us into debt — things like a car repair, a broken appliance, or an unexpected bill. Reaching this stage already puts you in a much stronger position than having nothing at all.
Once that feels secure, the next step is aiming for one month of essential expenses. This includes things like rent or mortgage, food, utilities, and petrol. This level of savings gives you breathing space if income changes or something bigger happens.
The final stage — and this is very much a long-term goal — is building up three to six months of expenses. This isn’t something you need to rush or pressure yourself into. It’s something that grows over time as your finances become more stable.
What matters most is not the final number, but the progress you’re making.
When I first started, I didn’t aim for months of savings. I just aimed for something a number that felt comfortable for me at the financial stage I was at. Every small step made me feel a little bit safer and more in control. It also gave me more confidence the more I saved. If you feel you need to gain more control of your finances which will help you gain more confidence read my other blog post “How to gain control of your finances” next
Your emergency fund should work for your life, your income, and your situation as a solo mum. There’s no failing here — only forward steps, however small they might be and most importantly this is your journey: focus on your own journey and try not to compare yours to someone else who is in a completely different situation than you.
Where Do You Start If You’re Already Struggling?
If you’re reading this and thinking, “This all sounds lovely, but I’m barely getting through the month as it is”, I want you to know — you’re not alone. Many solo mums feel exactly the same way, and I’ve been there too and often still feel like I am still there.
When money is tight, the idea of saving can feel impossible. It can feel like something only people with spare money get to do. But building an emergency fund isn’t about suddenly finding extra money you don’t have — it’s about starting where you are, with what you have.
I had to remind myself that I didn’t need to save hundreds to begin with. I just needed to take the first step. Even if that was just saving my first £10
If your finances feel stretched right now, the best place to start is by letting go of the pressure to do this “properly”. There’s no perfect amount. There’s no deadline. And there’s definitely no judgement here.
Starting an emergency fund can look like:
Saving £1 a week
Putting aside loose change
Keeping money from a small refund or cashback
Saving a bit of money you’ve made from selling something
These amounts might feel tiny, but they matter. They build the habit. And habits are what turn into security over time.
For me, once I stopped telling myself “I can’t afford to save” and started saying “I’ll save what I can”, everything felt more manageable. Even the smallest amount saved made me feel like I was doing something positive for my future and once I saved a small amount it gave me motivation and confidence to save more.
If you’re struggling, start small. Start messy. Start imperfectly.
Because an emergency fund isn’t built overnight — it’s built one gentle step at a time.
Step-by-Step: How to Start an Emergency Fund from £0
If you’re starting from nothing, please know that you’re not behind and you haven’t failed. I also started from nothing so it is possible to build an emergency fund from nothing. Every emergency fund starts at £0 — including mine. What matters is taking that first small step.
Here’s how to start, without pressure or overwhelm.
Step 1: Open a Separate Savings Account
If you can, open a savings account that’s separate from your everyday spending money. This helps keep your emergency fund out of sight and less tempting to dip into.
It doesn’t need to be fancy or have a great interest rate. It just needs to be:
Easy to access in an emergency
Separate from your main bank account
Think of this account as “future you’s safety net”.
Step 2: Start Tiny (Yes, Even £1 Counts)
You don’t need to save large amounts for this to work. £1, £2, or £5 a week is enough to begin.
I know that might sound pointless, but it really isn’t. Starting small builds the habit of saving, and habits are far more important than the amount at the beginning.
Saving a little and sticking with it is far more powerful than trying to save too much and giving up.
Step 3: Use ‘Found Money’ Where You Can
If money feels tight, this step can make saving feel much easier.
“Found money” is any money you weren’t relying on for bills, such as:
Selling items on Vinted
Cashback or survey money
Refunds
Spare change at the end of the week
This kind of money is perfect for your emergency fund because you’re not missing it from your everyday budget.
Step 4: Automate It If Possible
If you can, set up a small automatic transfer into your emergency fund — even just once a week.
Treat it like a bill to yourself. Once it’s set up, you don’t have to think about it, and your emergency fund grows quietly in the background.
And if some weeks you need to pause it, that’s okay too. This is meant to support you, not stress you out. Setting up an automation to move money from one of your bank accounts to another is not a contract you can press pause when you need to.
When I wanted to start an emergency fund I thought that my finances had to be in a certain place such as being debt free or having a grasp of all my finances however starting an emergency fund doesn’t require perfect finances. It just requires a gentle commitment to yourself and your future.
Every pound you save is a pound that protects you and your child later on — and that really does matter.
What If You Have Debt?
So what if you already have debt and are wondering whether you should even be thinking about saving an emergency fund? I want to start by saying that just because you have debt doesn't mean you’re bad with money, and you’re not doing anything wrong.
Many solo mums end up in debt simply because they’ve had to survive something they never thought they would have too. When you’re managing everything on your own, debt can feel like the only option when something unexpected happens.
I used to think I had to clear all my debt before I was “allowed” to save. But what I learned — sometimes the hard way — is that without any savings, every emergency just pushes you straight back into more debt.
That’s why having an emergency fund, even just a small one and even alongside debt, can be and is so important.
Instead of choosing between saving or paying off debt, it can help to do both — gently and realistically.
Like I mentioned earlier in this post a good place to start is with a small starter emergency fund, around £500 if possible. This isn’t about ignoring your debt. It’s about giving yourself a buffer so the next unexpected expense doesn’t undo all the hard work you’re doing. Something towards an unexpected expense is better than nothing at all.
Once that small safety net (that you can continue to grow) is in place, you can focus more confidently on paying down debt, if you would like some tips on the best way to pay off debt, read my post “The best way to pay off debt” knowing you’re less likely to feel the need to rely on credit again.
If money feels really tight, your emergency fund might grow slowly — and that’s okay. Progress doesn’t have to be fast to be meaningful.
At Solo Mum to One, I truly believe that emergency funds and debt repayment work best together. One gives you protection, the other gives you progress. And both can be built in a way that supports you, rather than making you feel overwhelmed or ashamed.
You’re allowed to protect yourself while you’re paying things off. It is actually smart to do both.
How an Emergency Fund Can Change Your Life
Having an emergency fund meant I no longer felt that instant wave of panic every time something unexpected happened. A strange noise from the car, a letter through the door, or an unexpected expense didn’t send me spiralling in the same way. I knew I had something there to support me.
Even a small emergency fund can give you:
Less stress and anxiety around money
Fewer sleepless nights worrying about “what if”
More confidence handling finances on your own
A sense of control in a situation where so much can feel out of your hands
Building an emergency fund is also about breaking the cycle of constantly reacting to money problems. Instead of everything feeling urgent and overwhelming, you start to feel more prepared and grounded.
This is why I talk about emergency funds so much at Solo Mum to One. They aren’t about perfection or hitting some magic number — they’re about protecting yourself and your child, and giving yourself a bit of breathing space in a very demanding season of life.
If you take one thing away from this post, let it be this: you don’t have to do this all at once.
Start small. Start where you are. Even £10 saved is £10 future-you didn’t have before.
You’re already doing an incredible job managing everything on your own. An emergency fund is just one more way to look after yourself — and you deserve that security.
If you like this post check out these next two as I think they would really help
“How to gain control of your finances”
Until next time
Rachel
Written by: Rachel Cole