Yes, this is a good idea! I know you want to know what is mad money? Well, a long time ago this term came about when a young lady went out with her friend to a party and her friend left her at the party with no way home. So, the young lady was mad with her friend that left her at the party and luckily for her, she had money stowed away in her shoe to take a cab back home. She thought to herself on her way home in the cab, that it was good that her mother had taught her to always have money set aside for emergency situations such as this!
Thank goodness, this young lady had the forethought to stash her mad money away so she could take a cab back home, since her friend left her in a lurch. Get the point? Having an emergency fund whether it be mad money or saved money is important for you to have. You say, how do I go about doing this? Well, you can read these tips to help you learn what you can do:
1) Set up a savings account specifically for your emergency fund or mad money fund. Whatever you want to call it, just establish one!
2) Deposit a certain amount of money on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis in your account. You may want to set up automatic deposits to your account via your payroll department. Or, you may want to have your bank automatically withdraw a certain amount of money from your checking account into your emergency or mad money savings account.
3) Try to save at least 2-3 months of your monthly salary to cover your bills for at least three months if you were to loose your job. This amount of time will hopefully allow you the cushion you need until you secure new employment.
4) The money you save in your emergency or mad money account should be used for household emergencies, personal emergencies or if youre no longer able to work. Dont use it for other expenditures such as bills, travel, etc… Get the idea? Its a savings account that you dont want to touch unless its absolutely necessary!
5) Make sure the bank account you put your emergency or mad money into, is paying you the most interest you can earn for this account! Research as many sources as possible on securing the best interest rate you can get. Check with your bank, the internet, newspaper and other sources for the prevailing interest rate. You want to make sure your money can be accessed easily and quickly if you need it for an emergency!
By establishing an emergency or mad money fund, this will give you a better peace of mind if you need access to money when there is an emergency in your life. So, the sooner you start setting money aside for a rainy day, the better off you will be! Make sure the amount of money you contribute to your emergency or mad money fund, is realistic for your budget. Save as much as you can without upsetting your overall personal or family finances. So go ahead, get started today!
How to Safeguard Your Financial Life
Several financial planners would agree that one of the
foremost and important steps that you should take to
protect your financial stability is to set aside funds
as emergency reserve. The concept that you have the
fund for emergency and unexpected events is enough to
help you stay away from using your credit card and
drown yourself in debt.
How to Get Started
Everyone must stash a little extra cash in case of
emergencies. However, how much money should you keep?
Although the topic of exactly how much money is needed
for your emergency fund is open to debate, the minimum
amount should be enough to cover your expenses for
daily living for at least three months. It is also
wiser to save for six months though most financial
planners agree on a full year worth of cash.
Your personal circumstances and what it takes to
provide you with a peace of mind are the elements to
help you determine just how cautious you want to be.
If for instance, you have well-off parents who have
always been supportive and willing to help you in a
financial crisis, an emergency fund for three months
will be sufficient. On the other hand, if you had
reach for you credit card for help and end up paying
15% in interest on the debt, you would be better off
saving enough money for your expenses that would last
for at least six months.
If by any chance you are thinking about where to place
your money, emergency fund, paying off the credit card
debt or funding your 401(k), you can always start with
your credit card debt. Next, you can contribute to
your 401(k). This step is especially useful since you
can later borrow money from your 401(k). However, as
soon as all those are finished, return to your project
of setting up your emergency fund.
If you do not feel like you are required to make your
entire funds this week, you can start like everyone
else. Begin by setting aside a monthly amount, like
for instance, 5% of your paycheck or other amount that
allows you to build one months worth of living
expenses over the course of a full year. It is also
advisable and helpful to make this automatic. You can
do this by asking your bank to do an automatic program
for deduction from your checking account to your
savings account.
Additionally, monitor you spending habit each month
and always search for areas that you can develop. If
by any chance you receive a promotion, bonuses, or
other unexpected windfalls, always think about
including them to your emergency fund.
Where to Keep the Cash
Keep your emergency fund somewhere that is both easily
accessible and safe because you might be required to
get the cash in a hurry during emergencies. Remember
not to put your cash in the freezer but do not tie
them up together in stocks whose worth may have
declined by the time you need them.
The best option you have is to open a savings account
or money market account. However, always examine their
offer with regards to the minimum balance, interest
rate and other terms.
By time you think you have saved enough, learn how to
stop. You can now sleep easier and try to start
placing your additional saving into higher-interest
and usually less accessible investments or accounts.
Emergency funds are considered to be a necessity as far as financial security is concerned, since it can provide one with financial resources that one can resort to and depend on when an emergency arises such that when one is sick and have the burden of paying huge medical bills, or unexpected home or major car repair.
When one has no emergency fund, one can be obliged to acquire debt on your credit card that might take several years to repay with interest that would later cost so much more.
However by putting an extra thirty to fifty dollars every month in an individual emergency savings account one can be secured with what emergency the future may bring. In doing this, it is recommended that one regards the emergency fund as an additional bill, to be punctually paid each month.
Yes, one can and should budget and allocate the extra money for emergency fund, as this is very significant when one refers to his financial future. Here, the goal is to create savings from budgeting your income; the emergency savings should ideally be equal to at least three months your living expenditures.
What’s important is that you should steadily put a certain amount of money aside, and only use it for real emergencies.
Not like an investment, the success of ones long-term savings funds does not really count on the amount of return or interests but on placing a fixed amount of money away constantly and steadily so to have immediate access to it at all times.
In spite of ones financial status, the initial step in the process of constructing an emergency fund is by knowing where your money is presently being consumed or spent.
When one recognizes and determines where ones earnings are spent, then it will be easy for one to choose and make a decision where to trim down expenses. In other words, budget.
Budgeting is putting or setting aside money for anticipated and unanticipated future use. It is here that one sets up a goal so as to save. So set an emergency fund as your goal.
Checking, savings, money market accounts and certificates of deposits, are great places to keep ones cash that might be needed on quick notice.
The amount saved from budgeting can either go to your savings goal, emergency fund or both. One could utilize the money saved from budgeting financial expenses by saving half of it to your savings account and half of it for emergencies. This way, you achieve your goals in savings and at the same time put in funds for emergency use. Its your choice.
It’s tough to get by financially in today’s fast-paced life. With mortgages, car notes and massive amounts of credit card debt, most people struggle to get by from month to month. With most people doing what they can just to pay their bills, few people are prepared for the unlikely event of a financial disaster. They come in many forms; a storm like Hurricane Katrina, a loss of job, or a sudden illness can break anyone who isn’t prepared for an unexpected interruption in their financial life. But it isn’t all that difficult to make preparations that will help you in times of a money crisis. All it takes is a bit of planning ahead of time.
Here are a few things that will help you be prepared for the unexpected:
Get an ATM/Debit card – You may not regularly use cash or have a need for a debit card, but there are some circumstances where it may be necessary. People from New Orleans who were temporarily displaced by Hurricane Katrina would have benefited from having access to cash even while away from home. If you don’t use one regularly, get one anyway and keep it in a safe place.
Sign up for direct deposit – With direct deposit, you will know that your paycheck will be in your bank account even if you cannot, for whatever reason, physically get to your bank. This will help you in the event of illness or natural disaster that may have your local bank temporarily closed.
Sign up for online bill paying – You can pay bills even if you aren’t at home via the Internet. You don’t have to use the service, but it may come in handy at a time when you least expect it.
Save some emergency cash – Financial experts recommend that you save at least three months’ worth of financial expenses. That’s difficult, but every little bit can help. Try to cut back on a few unnecessary items, such as that tall latte you buy every day. It adds up, and you never know when you may need to access that emergency cash.
Set up a home equity line of credit – Unlike a home equity loan, which provides you with a lump sum of cash right away, a home equity line of credit provides you with cash that you can use a little at a time, and only when you need it. If you don’t actually take any money out, you don’t have monthly payments. But if an emergency strikes, you’ll have cash available. This can be particularly helpful if you find yourself out of work for a short period of time. Your bank won’t lend you money when you are out of work, so plan ahead of time and the money will be ready when you are.
A little bit of planning can go a long way when a financial emergency strikes. If you plan for it now, you will have fewer worries later.