have a 3 month emergency fund

I’ll feel a lot more secure if I have a cushion of savings under me “just in case”.

I’m paying back loans so I need a balance between paying these off as quickly as possible to save what I pay on interest, and having savings for a rainy day. So rather than aim for 6 months as some experts suggest, I’m going for 3 months – this seems like a reasonable compromise to me.

I’ve set up an account with the highest rate of interest I could find and will pay into this monthly. It’s flexible so I can add more or less but I have budgeted a minimum payment and I will pay this in first thing every month.

I just transferred $5000 into our emergency fund. (Used a large portion of the my 2008 bonus). We now have $12208.89. I think that’s good enough to call this goal done! (We will continue the automatic monthly payments that we’re currently making, as it wouldn’t hurt to get to 6 months or more in the current economic climate.) In place of this goal, I’m going to add one for saving up a down payment for a new home.

I should have about what I would need.

I will outline this in further detail when I reevaluate things before my birthday so I will mark this one as DONE!

-keep saving
-stop spending less
-drive as little as possible
-track savings
-allocate current savings
-put it in writing

and draw out a budget

1. Alternative Cobra insurance
2. Food
3. Food for my cat, other pet expenses
4. College classes
5. Transportation costs
6. New Suit
7. Resume supplies
8. Counseling
9. Cell phone
10. Prescriptions
11. Accident insurance
12. Car insurance
13. Life insurance
14. Taxes
15. Moving costs

While still a long way from our ultimate goal, we made quite a bit of progress in 2008. At the beginning of the year we had $3514.36 and today we’ve got $5760.95. That’s about $187 a month saved during 2008!

I hope we can do even better in 2009.

I know i can do this…. but it feels like it will never happen because before i can even start i have debts to pay big big debts that will take years to pay and at the end of the month after my bills are paid i have like 50 bucks to put towards thoes debts…..however i am just opening my own business and i did just get a job offer for a full time position so more money rolling in does look like a possibility…but it just feels so daunting this one….poverty sucks and debts suck even more…. but at least i think im heading down the right path.

Moving to a new state, has forced me to use a majority of the funds I had spent the last two years trying to save. Amazing how without an income, you can spend in one month what has taken so long to save. I have a job interview tomorrow, but I am ever grateful that I started working on this goal.

Perhaps by the end of another month I will be employed and be able to start on this goal once again.

I know how important this is. I think I wrapped up getting a second job. Hopefully, I just have to do the paperwork. Now I can start saving a bit each month. Damn, it is hard to get ahead as a single parent. Cost of living is high here in the Bay Area. Well this will be a lot easier when Jen arrives.