Because I had the spare tire ready to go, I was only 10 minutes late for work. If I did not have a spare tire that was inflated, I would have needed a ride to the local tire shop to get it fixed and a ride back to install the fixed tire.
It is a fund that sits dormant in the bank and is only used if you are in a crisis that needs money to fix.This is the fund to help you get your car up and running again or to purchase a “new to you” refrigerator.
If you currently do not have an emergency fund, this should be your number one priority. You should fully fund your emergency savings before you start paying off debt.
You should not invest your emergency fund. This money needs to be readily available in the case of an unexpected expense that you can not pay for out of your regular income.
If you are forced to dip into your emergency fund to pay for an unexpected expense, you should immediately go back to paying the minimum on all our outstanding debts. Just as you initially funded your account, you should divert all extra money to your emergency savings until it is fully funded again.