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When building an emergency fund, it’s recommended to stash enough money to cover at least three to six months of necessary expenses. This ensures you can cover the essentials should an unexpected life event happen, like being laid off or put on short- or long-term disability.

However, it's not a bad idea to save for more than six months of expenses, according to financial coach Tanya Taylor. On a recent episode of the Money Glow Up podcast, Taylor recounted how a severe car accident and unexpected medical expenses for her and her daughter quickly depleted her emergency fund.

Having a year’s worth of necessary finances saved up was crucial to her recovery, Taylor said.

“When I had my car accident, I did have almost a year of emergency [funds], and it got used up so fast because there were other unexpected things that came up for me,” Taylor told Tiffany Aliche on Yahoo Finance’s Money Glow Up podcast (see video above or listen below).

After running through her funds that were meant to last her a year, Taylor had to rebuild her emergency fund — and she has some great tips for those struggling to get started.

Start with a budget

For many who live paycheck to paycheck, the prospect of building an emergency fund can feel nearly impossible. Deciding why you're saving the money is a good motivator when beginning this process, Taylor said.

“Start with your why — why are you building your emergency fund?” she said. “Because if you don’t have a why, it’s sort of just like, 'OK, why am I doing this?'”

Read more: The 4 best (and worst) places to keep your emergency fund

Taylor recommended creating a budget to start. It’s easier to locate additional funds you can put toward your emergency fund when you know where your monthly income is going, she said.

“A budget is not meant to be restrictive," Taylor said. "A budget is supposed to guide you.”

This may feel discouraging at first. But by starting small, you can still work toward building a safety net for unexpected expenses and situations.

“For some people, when they do that budget, it might be $20 a week, but then they continue to find ways to increase that amount, so it becomes maybe $100 a paycheck,” Taylor continued. “Then you keep building that up over time.”

Set a goal for the emergency fund based on necessary expenses (things that you absolutely cannot live without, like housing, food, etc.) and begin making a plan.

Automate deposits

Opening an account — ideally a high-yield savings account — for your emergency fund can help you save.