If you have a retirement account in addition to other savings accounts, it can be hard to determine which one takes priority. As important as retirement accounts are, it’s also important to regularly contribute to an emergency savings account, as well as a “rainy day” fund.

The percentage of your income that you contribute to each account will vary during different times of your life, but there are key things to keep in mind as you budget. These items are outlined in a recent Equifax Finance Blog, “Retirement Savings or Emergency Fund? How to Prioritize When Saving Money.”

The first priority should be contributing enough money to your “rainy day” fund to cover unexpected things that come up. For example, having to pay a sudden medical bill or replacing the flooring in your home after a pipe leak can deplete your monthly income. With fewer than four out of 10 Americans having this time of fund according to Bankrate’s Money Pulse poll, these sudden, unexpected expenses would be detrimental to most individuals. Be sure that you have enough funds in an easy-to-access account for when these sudden expenses occur.

After setting up a “rainy day” fund, your next priority should be an emergency savings account. This account is designed to help you in case of a major life event, such as a long-term illness or job loss. While a “rainy day” fund is typically a small amount of money, the emergency savings account should be considerably more substantial. A general rule of thumb is to keep three months of your current living expenses in an account, while married families should have six months’ worth of expenses set aside.

Finally, you should always consider your retirement account to be a priority. You may have to lower the amount of money you’re placing into your retirement account while you build up your “rainy day” and emergency funds, but you should always contribute to it.

To learn more about how to allocate your savings, read the full article on the Equifax Finance Blog.