Hi neighbor
Based in the actual situation of our economy - almost 0% interests paid by the banks, but also almost 0% (or less) inflation - my advice for you is to do 4 things:
1 - create a one year emergency fund = to one year (at least) expenses.
Using your numbers, at least 6.000€ in your normal bank, earning one year interests, per example 1.000€ every 2 months (so if you have an emergency you will use just some of the money and still earn interest in the rest);
2 - after that, and from the (around) 8.000€ per year that you save, buy “Certificados do Tesouro Poupança Mais” (
http://www.igcp.pt/gca/?id=1303).
These are State secured “bonds” running for 5 year periods.
They pay interesting progressive interest rates (for Portugal) - 1,25% year 1,1,75% year 2, 2,25% year 3, 2,75$ year 4 and 3,25% (
http://www.igcp.pt/fotos/editor2/2016/CTPM_Taxas_de_Juro/10_TAXA_JURO_CTPM.pdf).
Buy these up to 12.000€, 2.000€ per 2 months so you will have in every 2 months of the next 5 years interests entering your bank account (and thus contributing to your savings);
3 – after that create a least one Plano de Poupança Reforma (
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plano_Poupan%C3%A7a_Reforma).
This is a personal retirement plan where you put a fixed amount of money every month and can outdraw it when you become 60 (or sooner in special situations), and where you pay less taxes for it.
As the time goes by create other(s) up to the maximum amount of money you pay less taxes for - in 2016 (related to 2015 IRS) the amount was (per year) 400€ (up to 35 years old), 350€ (35 to 50 years old) and 300€ (more than 50 years old).
4 – after exhausting 3, return to the State bonds of point 2 (or other that give more % of earnings at the time you get to this point) and invest more in there.
Automate this and enjoy your life.
But(!): if the economical situation changes, you will have to take that into account and change some or all the things described above.
Best regards,