OK, April was a total buzz kill in terms of saving money this month. I would LOVE to be able to write that we were on FIRE, but in reality, it was a dumpster fire when it came to finances. As the old saying goes, it’s always something and we have found this to be unapologetically true, and the very reason those of us who are on a debt free journey start yelling from the roof tops, “You need an emergency fund!” and in no way shape or form is $1,000 enough, period!
There are all kinds of thoughts out there about how much you should have on hand before you begin to be gazelle intense with your debt payoff. For us, it is our belief that you need a minimum of $5,000 saved in an emergency fund because, $1,000 doesn’t cover squat!
This past month we were slammed with an unexpected $5,600, and $445 vehicle repairs AND hundreds in medical bills.. A measly $1,000 would not have put a very large dent into this situation.
So, if you happen to be reading this and you do not have an emergency fund, please start one today, even if all you have to put in it is $5.00. Trust me, it is not a question of whether you will have a money emergency, it is a question of when.
So now our primary focus is to replenish the emergency fund and quickly refill our auto repair sinking fund as we have another vehicle that is also requiring extensive repairs.
Despite all of our expenses this month, we were actually able to save money in a few ways:
1. We ate a lot of food from our pantry and freezer. This is another reason we stock up on foods when on they are on sale. In case we have a month with huge expenses, we have groceries to pull us through allowing us to put more money toward the bills.
2. We cancelled another month of our fresh fruit and vegetable deliveries.
3. We took a trip out-of-state to look for an investment property, so I packed our food and drinks, allowing us to eat the majority of our meals out of our cooler. We even used our own ice to keep the food cold.
4. We made sure to use our AAA discount on our hotel room and vehicle repairs.
5. I needed a few more skirts for work and I visited a few thrift stores and was able to find a couple that would work for just $2.99 each.
6. I have been scanning every single receipt I receive, no matter what it is for, into the FETCH rewards app. Although this hasn’t saved us money yet, it is accumulating points quicker.
7. Mr. SF installed a bidet in our bathroom. Although it will take a few months to recoup the money we spent on it in TP savings, I wish we would have done this years ago.
Thank you so much for stopping by and reading our blog today. We always love reading your comments so please take a moment to share your wins for April.