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How to Build your Emergency Fund

Family Balance Sheet

This post was first published in 2016. Life suddenly changed for most of us in March 2020 and this past year of the pandemic has reinforced how important an emergency fund is. If you’re able, maybe use some of your stimulous money to put towards building an emergency fund. What is an Emergency Fund?

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Create your debt freedom plan

Family Balance Sheet

We also didn’t feel comfortable with Dave’s suggestion of a $1000 starter emergency fund, which is his step #1. The point of the starter emergency fund is to get you through until you pay off your non-mortgage debts, at which point, you build a more extensive fund. DONE 2013. DONE November 2019.

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How our Debt Freedom Plan Prepared Us for the Pandemic

Family Balance Sheet

Our emergency fund. I am totally paraphrasing the year, but had it not been for the money in our emergency savings, we would most likely have used credit cards to survive. We reduced our spending where we could, but the money to pay any shortfall each month came from our emergency fund. It kept me up at night.

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2019 Debt Freedom Plan Update

Family Balance Sheet

2016 & 2017 Update. 1 – Save a starter Home Emergency Fund. Dave Ramsey suggests to have a starter emergency fund of $1000 while focusing on paying off non-mortgage debt. We have definitely dipped into this fund often, so I’m glad I strayed from his advice here. 1st Update in June 2014.

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How We Paid off Six Figures of Debt

Family Balance Sheet

This side hustle income was mainly used for the fun stuff, such as camping, home renovations & repairs, and needs for our kids. As part of his baby steps, he does not advocate contributing to retirement until after you’ve paid off non-mortgage debts and saved 3-6 months of expenses in an emergency fund.

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