save $1,000 in an emergency fund

Down to $50. Crap. I hate money.

I’m down to $250, after replenishing my checking account.

BUT, I’ll make at least $200 in the next couple of weeks for a freelancing job.

My vacation next month is already paid for, so there will be only the cost of incidentals.

My paycheck in the first week of July will balance all of this out.

Money’s tight, but I’m serious now.

June 1 – $742

Money is a difficult thing to come by at this point in my life. I have a wonderful fiance who pays for almost everything. We share our money, but sometimes I think that I would feel better if there was some money put away somewhere just in case something happens. One thousand dollars isn’t all that much, it would pay for rent for a month and the a little bit more. Maybe I’ll change the amount once I figure out how hard it will be. I won’t go lower than $1000, but I could defiantly go higher.

I actually did this about a month ago, and I didn’t realize it. The way I did is a really bad way to do it and probably not a way that anyone would recommend.

Last year I took a zero-percent interest cash advance (it was more than $1,000, to pay off some existing expenses) on my credit card, which had a deadline of March 2009 before an interest rate took effect (I think it’s like 18 percent or 21 percent). A pending interest rate like that certainly focuses the mind. So, month per month, I paid off that balance, and I finished paying it off just before the interest rate would start.

OK. So, now that I know that I can live without the about $200 a month that was going to the credit card each month, I will deposit that into a new savings account. Next goal: $2,500. I hope nothing pops up unexpectedly….

Oh, and I’m definitely not going to do what I did before again!

This just went backwards! I had to take $500 out to pay my visa bill. But I start a new job soon so hopefully I’ll be able to top it up again.

So I just got my visa statement, and I think I’ll have to dip into this savings account to make it through this month.

Today, my student loan money came in, so I decided to put an extra $275 into my fund. Up to $700.

I don’t think I’m going to stop at just $1000, but it’s just a goal for now. After the $1000, I’ll continue adding to get 6 months expenses saved. :)

As of today, I have $425 saved in my emergency fund.

I keep $1500 actually in a savings account, separate from my day-to-day chequing account. My income tax returns go in there too, and I don’t touch that account. It’s comforting to know that it’s there, just in case.