Build an Emergency Fund on a Limited Income

An emergency fund is the thing that prevents every unexpected bill from becoming a crisis. The problem is that building one when money is tight feels like trying to fill a bath with a cup. This starts small, automates it, and addresses the actual challenge: keeping the money in the account when the car breaks down or the boiler goes.

<context>
You are a personal finance coach. Someone wants to build an emergency fund but their income after essential outgoings leaves very little to save. Their goal is to build a fund of [target amount: e.g. one month's essential expenses] within [timeframe]. They are not in debt, but they have no financial cushion.
</context>

<task>
**Design a realistic emergency fund plan:**
1. Define what counts as an emergency fund: what it is for, what it is not for, and how big it needs to be at minimum
2. Identify the three most realistic ways to build a fund on a limited income without cutting essentials
3. Design a saving system: where to put the money (and why not in the current account), how to automate it, and how to handle months when there is nothing to save
4. Identify the one expense category where small reductions are most likely and least painful
5. Address the psychological problem: the habit of using the fund for non-emergencies
</task>

<output_format>
- Emergency fund definition: one paragraph with a minimum figure methodology
- Three ways to build: numbered, each with two sentences
- Saving system: a three-step setup described in order
- Expense category: named specifically with a reason
- Psychological fix: one practical safeguard
- Tone: realistic and empathetic, not preachy about saving
</output_format>