Education

Are Your Finances Ready for a Rainy Day?

posted by Chris Valentine

You know the saying, “when it rains, it pours”? Well, this is true even during financial emergencies. It’s not enough that you miss a few days pay after getting sick. You also face unexpected bills after your car breaks down, your phone shatters against the pavement, and your dog needs to go to the emergency vet.

When everything goes wrong at once, your budget may not be ready. How will you handle your rainy day? Here are two ways you might weather any financial storm.

Budget for Emergency Savings

It’s a little easier managing unexpected expenses when they aren’t in today’s forecast. But rest assured, somewhere in your long-range forecast something costly will go wrong.

Wouldn’t it make sense to prepare for when that day comes? Use this time to build up emergency savings.

You’ll want the equivalent of six to 12 months of expenses in this fund. This amount should cover everything you would normally buy during those months — from necessities like rent to fun things like dinner with friends.

This way, you’ll still be live your life as usual even after a sudden illness or recession means you aren’t earning a paycheck for nearly a year.

But that’s just the worst-case scenario. Having six to 12 months of expenses in savings is a great goal even if you face something less dire. You’ll be able to tap into these funds for smaller unexpected emergency medical bills and auto repairs that crop up throughout the year.

To grow your rainy day fund, look to your budget to see what spending you can cut. A great place to start is with your grocery bill. Check here for ideas on how to save the next time you shop.

Any cutbacks you make will free up cash you can put towards your emergency savings. Automate these contributions to keep this cash in your savings and away from accidental spending.

Get a Personal Line of Credit Online

If you’re stuck in a downpour as you’re reading this, consider an online personal line of credit. It may be your umbrella when your savings fall short of covering an unexpected emergency expenses.

Thanks to its mostly online borrowing process, an online personal line of credit may be faster than other alternatives. There’s no need to set-up time-intensive in-person meetings with financial institutions like CreditFresh. They do most of their business online to help them process requests faster.

While there’s still a high-touch human element to these online financial institutions, online request forms make it possible to request a CreditFresh Line of Credit by CBW Bank in only a few minutes.

As with an analog line, you’ll only be charged for the credit you use, not the personal line of credit limit you receive. You’re free to borrow as much or as little of this limit as you need. And, once you pay off your balance, you may access your full limit the next time disaster strikes without reapplying.

Start Now Before it’s Too Late

It’s not always easy to predict what will go wrong or when. But it’s a pretty safe bet your financial luck will run out eventually. Make sure you’re prepared for that rainy day. Research your options for borrowing money online and start squirreling away your money.

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