[thrive_headline_focus title=”Start an Emergency Fund” orientation=”left”]
This week I wrote the following short piece for the Boston Globe:
Many people have trouble putting together an emergency fund. After all, there is always something else to spend money on! These are often small items, small fees and small purchases that go unnoticed. However, they add up. What if you could limit your purchasing of these small items, and put your extra cash into a rainy day fund instead?
Here are some ideas:
1. Consider giving up your daily Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks habit. At $3.05, a cappuccino may not seem like a lot, but one every 251 working days in the year adds to $765. What small expenses do you incur every day that adds up?
2. AT&T and Verizon will charge you $199.99 for the new iPhone5 or the newer Samsung Galaxy 4 with a two year contract. The truth is most of us want the new hot phones and their fancy features. How long will these phones stay “hot”?
3. Pack your lunch: a sandwich or a salad at Panera will set you back $9 a day, or $2,259 a year.
4. Carpooling is great. Biking to work is better: It will not just save you gas, it will make you healthy too. Have you tried Boston Bikes yet?