What would happen if you lost your job tomorrow? Would you have enough money to cover all of your expenses without running up extreme credit card debt? It is very important to have an emergency fund set aside for life’s unexpected events. There are many reasons why you should have a rainy day fund, and there are ways you can ensure you’re able to set one up that is sufficient for your specific needs. Let’s discuss some of the ways you can manage your money properly so you are able to allocate money to your rainy day fund!
Losing your job is only one of the many reasons you need to have back up cash. You can also have expensive health or dental issues, or a major car repair. It’s essential that you have money set aside for these occasions. It is recommended that you have at least three to six months worth or income set aside in this fund. If you own a home, a recommended emergency fund of 1% to 3% of the total home value is encouraged to cover any unforeseen repairs which may arise. You can check out this handy calculator to get a more precise amount!
Once you have calculated your monthly expenses, then you need to figure out how will you will actually save up the money to put into your rainy day fund. Take a look at your current budget to see if there are areas where you are spending in excess. If you are able to cut out some excessive spending like dining out, or buying daily coffees, you might be well on your way to meeting your fund’s goal. There are also apps that offer automatic savings which make it very easy to ensure that you are setting aside a portion of each paycheck towards your emergency fund.
There are many other ways which can make your emergency fund goal a reality. You could sell items which you no longer need. The average garage sale could net you around 750 dollars! Getting a side hustle is another great way to bring in extra income. Some common side gigs include, freelance writing, graphic design, virtual assistant, bookkeeping, and accounting services. Check out this article for some more side hustle ideas!
