Even when your finances seem to be in order and everything is on track, outside influences can cause you to fall into financial emergencies. If you don’t have an emergency fund to get you through them, they can worsen over time, and your finances can end up in complete shambles. These clever money habits help you weather any unforeseen financial emergencies.
Open A Separate Account For Emergencies
Like a savings account, it might be a good idea to open a separate account that acts as an emergency fund. This can help you stash away some money without the risk of using it on something unnecessary.
Set Aside A Predefined Amount Of Money Every Month
Take a good look at your budget and figure out your rent, groceries, utilities, and other spending. After that, decide how much money you can comfortably add to your emergency fund every month.
Get Into The Habit Of Saving
You need to get into the mindset of saving money and make saving a habit. For example, make it a habit to always add to your emergency fund as soon as you get paid. You can even make it a habit to collect change and spare money and deposit that into your emergency fund account whenever you get the chance.
Automate Your Deposits
You can automate deposits from your checking account to your emergency fund account. That way, you’ll never forget to make a deposit, and you won’t accidentally end up using money meant to be saved.
Don’t Be Too Frugal As That Can Lead To Splurging
If you save, save, save, you won’t have anything left to spend, and being too frugal might lead to splurging every now and then. A better idea would be to also set aside a separate spending budget so that you can spend and save sustainably.
Use Windfalls To Build Your Emergency Fund
Windfalls like a bonus or a tax refund should always go to your savings or your emergency fund. If you didn’t expect to come into some extra money, you likely wouldn’t be spending so much anyway. So, don’t waste windfalls; save them!
Spend And Save Smartly
Depending on your current needs and whatever stage of life you are in, you would know best how much you need to spend and how much you need to save. Spend and save smartly, and you should be able to maintain a good balance that suits your life.
Start Paying Off Your Debts
Debt can often lead to financial emergencies. So, it would be a good idea to come up with a strong system to start paying off your debts. Being debt free will ultimately give you better control of your finances and provide financial security in the long run.