Let’s talk about something most personal finance blogs won’t tell you: you will probably use your emergency fund. The whole point of building one is to have money available when life throws a curveball, and believe me, it will. I learned that lesson in a way I wasn’t exactly prepared for. It wasn’t a catastrophe….
The $20 Trick That Finally Got Me to Save Without Thinking
When I first set out to build my emergency fund, I did what most people do: I tried to save in big, dramatic bursts. “I’ll put away $200 this week,” I’d tell myself, and then I’d pull it off. For about a week. Then life would happen, and I’d drop back into old habits. The…
How I Saved My First $500 Again (And Why It Felt Bigger Than Before)
The first time I saved $500, I barely remember it. I was in my twenties, working full-time, living at home for a bit, and not really thinking about emergency funds. I just did it because some finance article told me to. The second time I saved $500, I was in my forties—and it felt like…
The Just-in-Case Jar: Emergency Funds When You’re Starting Over
Let me tell you something I didn’t expect to feel in my 40s: panic when my car made a weird noise. I thought I’d be past that stage by now. You know—the one where you hear a rattle and immediately wonder if your entire month is about to collapse. But there I was, holding my…
Starting Over at 40 (Again): Career Shifts, Side Hustles, and the Myth of Too Late
There’s something no one warns you about in your 40s: you might have to reinvent yourself again. Not in the cute “new hobby” way, but in the “my industry changed/I got laid off/I’m burned out/I need more money” kind of way. And when that moment comes, it doesn’t always feel empowering. It feels terrifying. I…