Dave Ramsey when ‘life happens’ and we find that we don’t have to go into panic mode. Today is one of those days. My dad (88) was taken to the hospital Saturday evening. My parents live in Chicago, IL and I live in Atlanta, GA. I have a brother, but he is in NYC. Plus, I have been the adult child who usually does the caregiving, supporting my mother (86). Without going into too much detail, as of Friday evening Dad hasn’t been able to walk. His condition isn’t life threatening (so I’m told), but I must go to Chicago unexpectedly.
Over the last 24 hours, as I have been trying to make space to go without disrupting my life, and particularly my income, negatively, I had to step back and say “this is why you have an emergency fund.” If I miss 12 hours of work (and some of my income is based on working hourly) I have the money to cover that. I have money to pay for a pet sitter. I have money to pay for leaving my car at the airport, if that’s what I decide is the best thing to do. I have enough.
Not naive enough to think that I couldn’t blow through the emergency fund very quickly, but nevertheless. . . This is why you have an emergency fund. That’s my mantra today. I can panic over other things, but I don’t have to panic over that.