Emergency Fund Don’t Fail me now!
In my post Money Creates Options I jokingly talked about how I hope to always have enough money that I never need to rent a PT Cruiser again. Well once again having little cash in the bank opened up an unexpected option for us. Last week someone very important to me passed away.
Once I received the news that evening my wife and I decided we needed to travel three states away and we needed to leave that night (and I’m not talking about crossing three of those little East Coast states, I’m talking about crossing three big fat West Coast states). When we were discussing our options about flying, driving, going or not going, a funny thing happened that was sort of new to us…not once during our discussion did my wife or myself ask the question “Do we have enough money” or “How much will it cost?” We knew stuffed away in a local credit union was had everything we needed to do whatever we needed to do.
At 2am, within couple hours of receiving the emotional news Mrs. Financio, Mrs. Financio JR, and myself found ourselves in the SUV, making a quick stop at the ATM to grab some cash then we made a break for the border(s).
18 months ago this whole scheme would have played out a bit differently. It likely would have involved some unpleasant discussions about money and credit cards and bills and gas money, all are the last things I want to talk about when things complicated. After all was said and done there was no debt incurred, there was no discussion about the money involved in making the trip. We were free to do what we felt we needed to do without any concern for the dollars involved. This unexpected trip that came about by a huge loss in my life was in a way also huge success for me financially and, proof that some sacrifice and good decision making can pay off in big ways that can’t be explained in terms of dollars. The crazy part was that this came right on the heels of our Serious Budget Busting Week I think somebody out there is testing me to see if I’m really serious about this whole debt free thing!
...."so when I got home we had a talk and decided this money situation had to change. I didn’t know how I was going to change it, we were barely making enough money to cover the monthly payments so how the H-E-double-hockey-sticks was I going to fix it?"
I’m sorry for your loss. AT least you could focus on what to do without worrying about money.
118 months ago this would not have happened, but I have a super husband who puts family first, and his friends with his family.
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