Dave Ramsay is fond of saying that when one doesn't have an emergency fund, Murphy moves into the bedroom. Got that right. Though in my case, Murphy landed in my kitchen. On my stove, to be exact.
There I was, mopping up a spill,lifting up the stovetop to make sure I got it all, when there was a crackling sound, the smell of burning rubber, and then smoke started coming out of the now-defunct LED panel. I know I'm not much of a cook, but this was ridiculous.
Sigh. My emergency fund has been defunct since April.
The repairs to the stove cost $285.
Which brings me to my current whine.
I save pennies. But Murphy brings major dollar expenditures.
I know this is an irrational feeling, but it makes me want to throw in the towel on all the penny-ante scrimping when the big money expenses wipe me out. Somehow, saving a few dollars here and there seems futile in the face of smoking stoves, worn out cars, etc.
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5 comments:
I totally know where you're coming from. Far too often when you're really working on getting things in order and you think you're finally on top of everything, pow, something major happens.
A winter storm ripped off most of the roofing on our living room and master bedroom at our rural home. Water leaked through the bedroom ceiling and soaked everything. That was $1,800.
About the same time we needed to do the brakes, but we'd put it off because things were a bit tight. So we ended up replacing the rotors. Bye bye $700.
And I've been putting first $10/week and now $12/week into my Emergency Fund. Right, that's about 208 weeks or *4* years to replace that $2,500!
bloody murphy! how frustrating, it sometimes feels like one step forward, two steps back with finances. my emergency fund has been wiped out so often I feel a bit like chevy, my $25 each week takes a loooong time to build it up!
Ah, I've been there too...and if I don't start saving more, I'm afraid I'll be caught too! Hang in there, you have a lot of expenses, but look how far you have come!
Murphy is such a @#$&. Hey, don't let the frustrations lead you away from doing it right... the challenges are just there to see if you are fully committed to getting it done.
My parents started listening to Dave Ramsey in their early 60s, and it has completely changed their financial lives. No, they are not immune from minor financial disasters, but they are now better able to roll with the punches. An emergency fund is truly insurance for your sanity... even if it happens in bits at a time!
Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com
Thanks folks.
I am starting to resupply the emergency fund. I added $100 to it today (because the repair guy had quoted me $385 but then charged me $100 less when it turned out not all the wires I fried were the crucial ones). I'll breathe easier when it's back up to $1000.
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