That's hard to answer, because it depends on the prices in the area where you are. The number needs to be high enough so that if you have paid for rent, food,

That's hard to answer, because it depends on the prices in the area where you are. The number needs to be high enough so that if you have paid for rent, food, clothes and so on, you still have a tiny amount left over to save for emergencies. It's the complete lack of any savings that can make you very nervous and impatient. For example, if my washing machine breaks down, I have the resources to call a mechanic, use a laundromat or even buy a new one. When I was poor, a broken washing machine meant dirty clothes and having to not buy something else until I can afford the mechanic. You can probably guess that under these circumstances it would be very hard to stay patient with the mechanic if he does a poor job, or if he can't fix it for some reason.