The amount of money you should have in your savings account is dependent on how much risk the person feels they are taking. For example, if someone has a low-risk job where their income will be stable for many years to come and doesnt expect any large changes or raises, then $2k would be sufficient. On the other hand, if that same person was planning to take on a new career path with potentially risky business ventures involved (e.g., becoming an entrepreneur), then $50k may need to be set aside as well just in case one of those ventures fails and theres no way back up from it