How do I stop dipping into my savings to cover overspending each month?

Chronically raiding savings signals that either your budget is unrealistic or predictable irregular costs are not being planned for. First, run a spending audit to see whether your categories actually match your life; a budget you cannot keep is a budget to fix, not to feel guilty about. Second, set up sinking funds for the irregular expenses, car repairs, gifts, annual bills, that usually trigger the raids, so they stop hitting your emergency savings. Third, add friction: move savings to a separate bank with no linked debit card so transferring back takes a day, and automate savings off the top so it leaves before you can overspend. Finally, keep a small buffer in checking for genuine timing gaps. The goal is to make dipping in inconvenient and rarely necessary.