Grocery run in a snowstorm taught me about my buffer fund

Stuck in a Colorado parking lot last month when my truck wouldn't start, $220 tow ride later. That buffer account I'd been slowly building covered it without touching rent, but it also showed me I need a bigger cushion for surprise car stuff. Has anyone else had an emergency that changed how much they keep aside?

2 comments

2 Comments

jenny_sullivan971mo ago

My last emergency was a blown radiator on I-70, $340 with the tow and parts. That wiped out my old $500 buffer fast. I bumped it up to $1,000 after that, and now I treat car repairs like a monthly bill, I put $50 aside every payday no matter what. It feels boring but it beat the panic of watching my savings drop to zero. You might wanna figure out what your deductible and average tow cost are in your area, then double that number and start there.

cole_hall1mo ago

Wait, $340 for a radiator AND a tow? That's honestly wild. My buddy paid damn near $600 for just the radiator on his truck last year, and that was with him doing the labor himself. You must drive something cheap to fix, which honestly might be the smartest move out there. I had a $1,200 buffer and still felt broke after my alternator died at a gas station, so seeing that $340 number makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. Maybe I need to start looking for a beater that's easier on the wallet.