Emergency fund - how much to save?

Hi, I'm looking for advice regarding how much to save in an emergency fund before starting to save for a house downpayment.

I currently have about $8000 in savings, I recently was able to start saving after paying off all credit card debt. We're a one income family, and my job is somewhat unstable and usually I can save between 2000-3000 per month. Our fixed monthly expenses are about 2200 per month, and we have insurance with very low to no deductible. Because my pay and job is unsteady (I'm on commission only), how much would you save to be safe before saving for other expenses?

Thanks for your advice!

PS Im keeping the emergency fund in a money market fund - is this really safe or should I keep it in a reg savings account?

Money Market Fund is fine!

It sounds like you have caught Dave Ramsey Fever!

Great job on getting rid of your credit card debt!

Because you have cyclical/seasonal/irregular/unpredictabl... pay, I recommend that you keep THREE months worth of expenses in the bank AT A MINIMUM. It is even better if you have SIX months in the bank!

Great job!

I'd want to be able to live for 3 months on savings.

A good rule of thumb is 3-6 months of expenses. Since your income is unsteady, I would save the 6 months.

A money market account is a good place to keep it. You can get to it easily if you need it, but it tends to earn a bit more interest than a savings account.

Well some people would say that the idea of an emergency fund is not the best idea, as long as you have available credit on a credit card for an emergency. You could have this emergency money elsewhere rather than stuck in a low yield account. But $6000 should be enough, three months income.