One financial stress that keeps many people up at night is the fear that some unknown and unpredictable circumstance will suddenly arise that costs a ton of money.

Bestselling personal finance author and radio host Dave Ramsey shares his advice on putting those worries to rest.

Related: Dave Ramsey has straight talk about buying a new car now

Ramsey suggests putting together an emergency fund to try to anticipate major financial interruptions. This sounds vague, but he helps create some order out of the ambiguity of the concept by dividing the way to think about it into two categories.

The personal finance personality says that the amount you save for an emergency fund depends on whether or not you have consumer debt.

If you have consumer debt such as credit card debt or car loan payments, Ramsey suggests a starter emergency fund of $1,000.

Then, he advises, pay off all of the debt entirely. Once it is gone, put together a fully funded emergency fund of three to six months of the full amount of your expenses.

The three questions to ask about financial emergencies

Recently, a woman seeking advice asked Ramsey about some questions she had along these lines.

“Dear Dave,” she wrote, according to an e-mail sent to TheStreet from Ramsey Solutions. “We have all our debts paid off, except for our home, and our fully funded emergency fund of six months of expenses is in place. In talking to people, it seems there are lots of different opinions as to what constitutes an emergency. What guidelines do you suggest when deciding whether to use our emergency fund?”

Ramsey immediately began explaining the specifics regarding what questions need answers.

“There are three things to ask yourself when you’re tempted to dip into your emergency fund,” he wrote. “One, is it unexpected? Things like Christmas, birthdays and even certain bills come around at the same time every year. If you’re not already budgeting for these things, it’s time to start. Otherwise, you might use your emergency fund for something that’s just the result of poor planning.”

The next question to be answered, Ramsey said, involves how vital the financial action really is.

“Number two, is it absolutely necessary? Most of us think we know the difference between needs and wants, but sometimes the line gets a little blurry,” he wrote. “If your car goes completely kaput, and you need transportation, use your emergency fund to buy something affordable and reliable you can pay cash for. But don’t dip into your emergency fund just to upgrade your good car for one with a million bells and whistles. That’s a want, not a need.”

Then it’s time to deal in some serious honesty with yourself.

“And three, is it urgent? Sometimes, you have act like a grown-up. Every idea that pops into your mind isn’t unexpected, necessary or urgent,” Ramsey wrote. “You can live that way if you want, but the result will be a quickly depleted emergency fund. Then, what’re you going to do when a real emergency comes along?”

Ramsey advises stepping back and seeing the big picture

The Ramsey Show host talks about the importance of exercising self-discipline in the way people think about financial decisions.

“Practice the art of patience. Avoid impulse buys. Urgent things include stuff like a broken air conditioner in the middle of summer, a busted transmission or sudden, unexpected medical expenses,” Ramsey said. “A big sale at Walmart? No. Concert tickets? Definitely not. That great new pair of shoes you just saw in a store window? Give me a break!”

“Your emergency fund is about long-term security, not instant gratification. Don’t use it on a whim. But don’t be afraid to use it when you really need to!”

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