how do you cope with unexpected emergencies without an emergency fund?

flamingo747

I'm curious to know where you find the money for unexpected events? What do you choose to go without/not pay? Who do you ask to help?

Obviously an emergency fund is the best option, but what about when you're first starting out, or have more emergency than fund?

[Deleted User]

I guess you have three options.

Rob Peter to pay Paul.

Borrow the money.

Manage without the item that has gone wrong.

determined_new_ms

when we were first on the debt clearing mission we didn't have an emergency fund. When something happened that was above our normal expenditure we either tried to fix the item ourselves (lots of internet tutorials on everything) did this for the kettle, dishwasher & washing machine, get a replacement either on freecycle or cheap on ebay, just went without if it wasn't a necessity (car repairs for instance) we had to reduce debt payment for a month and just have an even skinter month or 2. We weren't on DMPs or anything else. Just paying it back with 0% deals

tiger_eyes

With great difficulty.

flamingo747

Unfortunately it was two tyres, one bald, the other with canvas visible! No fix at home

ALIBOBSY

Its a hard issue really. I know when we were in the middle of paying things off the boiler decided to blow up. We were lucky, we put £100 towards it and my Mum and Dad kindly lent us £1000 for the rest. We set up a standing order to pay a set amount agreed with them each month and got it cleared within about a year.

Smaller stuff is less of an issue, OH has used you tube and his own basic DIY skills to learn to fix things over the years. When the washer door broke, we got a replacement cheap online and he fixed it, when the oven stopped working he found out it was likely the thermostat which he ordered online and replaced etc, etc.

Basically you go from the mentality of replacing things as soon as they break with new items, to trying to fix it first, doing more maintenance to make stuff last longer (OH learnt to do car services himself, I learnt about the various bits of maintenance on washing machines/dryers etc.), and if you can't fix either manage without or buy secondhand. We found a great place locally who buy up electrical products from the "big stores", these are returns, sometimes for simple minor dints or scratches. They check them over, replace motors if required and sell them for really good prices. Plus they still give a guarantee of at least 3 months dependant on which product and even after that OH had free advice re fixing a dryer off them by wandering down for a chat to the engineer-and they will sell you parts at cost plus they will send a guy out to fix stuff for not alot, thnk they charged my sister £25 plus the parts to change a washing machine motor years after she bought it from them. So worth checking out those local places we tend to avoid in favour of the big stores who are "supposed" to be cheaper and better service lol.

We have had quite alot of stuff off freecycle (freegle), a set of kitchen doors that are like new, top soil for the garden, dining chairs etc.

Also its odd once people know you are up for taking second hand stuff the number of friends and relatives who will say I am getting a new XXX, rather than me chucking the old one would you like it? We have had alot of stuff like this.

Sometimes you just manage till you can afford to replace or source second hand. We managed for about 6 months without a microwave and 2 years with an oven that had no working grill.

Like my cousin who swapped her 2 yr old fridge freezer for one of those american ones when she moved, MIL had trouble with her microwave and reckoned it kept not working and bought a new one and gave us the old one, we worked out she had kept accidentally putting it into demo mode and never had a problem ourselves lol, my Mum was downsizing and gave us one of her 2 dining sets, neighbour gave us a brilliant panasonic TV for free when ours went, (in fact we passed it on and it was still in use last I heard and was 12 years old when we had it-but was massive and weighed a ton, don't build them like that anymore lol) and we have a spare toaster and kettle sat in boxes put away as spares till ours go.

Local auctions are also good for second hand stuff alot cheaper than brand new, and sometimes stuff IS brand new.

At the end of the day you just have to manage, but if you can its worth trying to save a little bit each month to try to eventually have a fallback, and I think then that money becomes more meaningful and you use the above methods to get the most for your money rather than just handing over your card at currys et al.

Ali

Puzzcat

Luckily I started an emergency fund before I started my dmp as I have so far had a freezer breakdown and a £90 vet bill...I had managed to top it back up between the 2 incidents...failing that it would be the bank of mum....

marleyboy

Although we have a buffer-zone for any unexpected financial dramas. Were it not the case it would be either a crisis loan, borrowing from family or trying to make do the best we can, with what we do have.

SpecialBrew_2

My lightbulb moments came clustered together all at once like the bulbs on a football stadium floodlight, but the biggest and brightest was having to ask my adult son for a loan in such a situation. He's a lovely lad and I know I could do it again if a real need arose in the future, but I think I'd try to move mountains not to have to.

tattycath

I bought a re-conditioned washing machine, tumble dryer and fridge freezer when I lived on my own with DD1 and DD2. I had them for 6 years. I think I paid about £240 for the 3 items. When I moved in with my husband I didn't need them. The dryer stayed in the house. The fridge freezer went to my mums and she's still using it-8 years later. The washing machine went to a friend and she's still using it too.

A couple of years ago the handle on my washing machine door broke. I looked on google to see if there was a tutorial on how to fix. I have to confess this kind of stuff isn't my strong point. So I showed it to Mr tc and I ordered the part off eb@y-less than £3. And Mr tc fitted the part. Before I discovered MSE I would have suggested getting a new washing machine-now we never replace if we can repair cost effectively.
I have to say though we do need a new microwave-we've had ours for about 5-6 years and it was a supermarket cheapie-about £25. It is now going rusty inside-not quite sure how that happened but we're going to replace it.

[Deleted User]

I have a smallish emergency fund but, I also have two unused ODs, totalling £700, which I could utilise, if really desperate.

Of course, being a tenant, rather than a home owner, does take some of the pressure off.