Are emergency expenses haunting you?

Patti Wooten SwansonNutrition, Family and Consumer Science Advisor

Not having enough money to pay for unexpected costs
---now that's scary!

Life happens—and it can be expensive:

     • The brakes go out on your car
     • A child throws a baseball through your window
     • Ouch! You need an unexpected root canal
     • Dad's sick---you need to fly home unexpectedly
     • A power outage caused everything in the refrigerator to spoil

If you needed $1,000 for an unplanned expense, where would you get the money?

A recent national survey asked nearly 2,700 people that question, and only 36% had enough savings to cover the cost.

Here's where the others would turn for the money:

     • 9% would take out a loan
     • 17% would borrow from friends or family
     • 9% would get a cash advance on their credit card
     • 17% would disregard other monthly expenses
     • 12% would sell or pawn assets

How can you avoid going into debt when you have an emergency?!

According to America Saves, it only takes an e-fund of $500-$1,000 topay most unexpected expenses without going into debt.

Today's Small Step: Start your e-fund today.

Open a savings account and set up automatic deposits from your paycheck or checking account. Deposit $42 a month, and this time next year you'll have $500 saved up