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

FireWyrm

We have a keg of homebrewed beer currently holding our freezer door closed. The seal went late last year and it wont stay closed without something in front of it.

I grew up in a financially dysfunctional household, so we learned to make do with what we had, or do without. The universe seems to have taken me for a pet and delights in pi$$ing on my life at times when it is most inconvenient, so I have learned to be one step ahead. I have a small stockpile of food (like BedsitBob...but not quite so 'hoarder-like') and for the same reason, it gives you an instant buffer of a month's food money if necessary. I know I could replace the freezer, but we're not there yet and the keg is holding it closed for now. The dishwasher broke last year, we went back to old fashioned washing up by hand. When I was growing up, the flush broke on the toilet, we used a bucket of water instead for a while until it could be fixed. The washing machine broke once, I used to do the washing by hand in the bath. It's all about making do and about having the fortitude to do it if necessary. Many people have no experience of adversity, so when it strikes, they have no idea how to cope and consider (strangely) that those who can cope, are weird or nuts They go and get a loan to buy whatever is broken instead of either finding another way to live without the item, or fixing it themselves.

The best way of accruing an emergency fund is to plan everything, every spend, every day. Most people can shave at least £2000 off their food budget in a year for instance, if the SOAs on here are anything to go by. Emergencies are never predictable, obviously, but everything else is...so, pay attention to it and you'll have your emergency fund in about 6 months of diligent planning and execution.

[Deleted User]

FireWyrm wrote: »

I have a small stockpile of food (like BedsitBob...but not quite so 'hoarder-like')

To quote Burt Gummer:-

When you need it, and don't have it... you sing a different tune.

flamingo747

I need to create a food hoard, definitely. I have a disposable nappy hoard of 7 packs, we use 1 a week max but I always buy 2, and also a loo roll hoard. But I really need to work on a food hoard. We did start an emergency fund with £200, but dh is starting his new job next week and won't receive full pay til March, so fund was already allocated to rent!

[Deleted User]

flamingo747 wrote: »

and also a loo roll hoard.

I've got one of them.

Well, not actually a hoard, because I'm using them all the time.

I try to keep about 1 years supply in.

I replenish the stock, whenever I see a good price.

SarahB1989_2

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

I've got one of them.

Well, not actually a hoard, because I'm using them all the time.

I try to keep about 1 years supply in.

I replenish the stock, whenever I see a good price.

How much space does your hoard (food + loo roll etc) take up? I think my flatmate would kill me if I brought home a year's supply of loo roll... It'd fill our bathroom!

ERICS_MUM

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

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

Wow ! Your "emergency fund" is obviously your own resourcefulness. We could do with you in government. This is how I remember my parents' generation managing their home lives in the 1950's and 60's.

DD265

I currently have an emergency fund but at the end of the month (when I have survived a month without dipping into it) I'm putting it towards my loan.

When that's gone, I have about £2k available on one credit card (not interest free) and then a 0% card with £3k on it that I've kept purely for emergencies. I live at home with my parents so emergencies are minimal and tend to be either horse or car related. They have a savings account for the horse so I don't really need to worry about him, and they would help me out with the car if needs be, or I could just go without if I had to and borrow Mom's on the occasions when I truly needed a car.

I have made do though - my phone is a refurbished Iphone 3GS that was my sisters and broke. I bought bits on eBay, used Youtube, took the phone apart and put it back together. It's been going strong since as I jailbroke it too, I won't need to change phone until the operating system goes beyond the phones capabilities and prevents me from getting/updating apps.

[Deleted User]

SarahB1989 wrote: »

How much space does your hoard (food + loo roll etc) take up?

Most of the food is in the kitchen cupboards.

The loo rolls live in the top of the wardrobe, alongside my lifetime stock of 60w incandescent bulbs.

I think my flatmate would kill me if I brought home a year's supply of loo roll... It'd fill our bathroom!

Living on my own, and working 12 hour days (there's something very satisfying about backing one out on company time ), I don't use all that much .

My stock is only 6 packs, which is 54 rolls.

FireWyrm

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

To quote Burt Gummer:-

When you need it, and don't have it... you sing a different tune.

Indeed. I think I'll give the idea more thought and perhaps look to increase my own stockpile for those times when the universe takes gets bored and comes looking for me.

Bog roll...must get more bog roll.

flamingo747

Ok, so talk food stockpiles to me... What is best, how much should I get, and where can it all live?