Not enough in Emergency Fund!

monetxchange

Drawingaline said:

When our dryer broke we had to get another one. I am a cleaner and wash my cloths every evening, and they just wouldn't be dry the next day without a dryer. 

This doesn't seem particularly cost-effective - running a wash every single night followed by a dryer must be expensive on electricity. Unless it's some super expensive specific item, would it possibly be cheaper just to buy enough cloths to last you a working week/a few days instead?

middleclassbutpoor

Sharon87 said:

Sorry but some of this isn't helpful. Not everyone wants to live off of rice and beans! If you have 30k of debt, that's a lot rice and beans until you're debt free! I have 10k of debt, down from 15k. I still occasionally eat out, go on holidays. Yes I could have my debt paid off a year earlier, but as long as your debt is going down and it's not stressing you out, then having some luxuries is good for your mental health. FYI - I also have a modest emergency fund of £1200 - however I'd rather use it on a house deposit in the future, so would never want to withdraw it all (it's in a HTB ISA so I can withdraw it fee free in case of emergencies) I add to this every month. I predict my debt will be paid off in 2-3 years even with the holidays I have planned!

monetxchange said:

I get the principle that was behind the post, but I do too feel it's not particularly relevant to the OP really. They have got an emergency fund in place and are debt clearing. I don't think they needed telling they shouldn't be buying/spending anything and be living on rice. I too like Dave Ramsey, but the hardcore side of it isn't for everyone.

On heated dryers, they can be okay if you really want to use one. I had one and tended to find it made the room really stuffy and damp, and it was awkward to fit many clothes in on hangers. They then used to come out it quite stiff and smelt like the tent-style covering rather than any washing powder. They may have got better over the years, but a drying rack would do the same, albeit over a couple of days. That being said, dishwashers and dryers are lovely things to have if you can afford them/afford to run them!

I don't want to detract from the OP here either and normally wouldn't respond but as my post has been viewed as not relevant, I wanted to explain why I felt it was relevant. 

As I read the post, there wasn't sufficient money to buy 2 new appliances, therefore I was making to point of selling the things you can sell to raise the emergency fund -  so if anything else happens, which may need to be fixed (like a boiler or a plumbing emergency for example) then the money is there.

The Dave Ramsey references of being gazelle like was in response to getting the Emergency Fund built up because that is the most important thing to do and it does feed into the debt repayment period also.   If those comments have triggered anyone, I would ask them to look at why it triggered them as there is nothing extreme in that?

The beans and rice comment isn't literal. Its what we do on here every day with an SOA. Until you get an EF, you should be living fugally as this is when you are most exposed to going back into debt. Its not about living like that forever.  However, I would still encourage people to do a SOA which gives them the best chance of getting out of debt as quickly as possible. 

The longer you are in debt, the more chance you have of life chucking you some more issues to deal with. 







 

clairebeth

I have two good recommendations for airers actually,  I am the queen of air drying clothes! Obvs if an outside line is available (and Storm Dennis isn't hanging around), then that's the first preference and you then don't have to worry about indoor space.

Otherwise, a pulley suspended from the ceiling (we live in a two bedroom tenement,  so we have little space but 10 foot ceilings!) Everything dries so quickly as hot air rises,  and you can hang those IKEA peg hanging things off the ends for socks and pants etc. 

https://www.castinstyle.co.uk/section.php/2/1/traditional-pulley-clothes-airers/4d70232e1311c34b0e9dceaaabae25ab

You may find one second hand. Google 'clothes pulley' or 'sheila maid".

Or,  the best standard airer I've used is this one from Dunelm:

https://www.dunelm.com/product/3-tier-tower-airer-1000108785?defaultSkuId=30457391

It's on wheels so you can have it sitting in n the middle of the living room overnight if you want and then punt it to the corner easily if needed and then just folds away.  And it has hanging bits at the side to hang shirts on hangers. 

katsu

I can dry a pair of jeans overnight on my Lakeland heater airer. Often we'r don't use the heat setting,  just use it as an airer. 

I would think carefully about what you need to get and when. Ask your other half to wash up and work out a fair sharing whilst the dishwasher is out of action.

John_

sunflowerlady said:

Thank you all! I’m really considering not replacing the dryer and looking into a heated airer - it’s just where I would keep it!!! 

The Dishwasher is a bit more tricky. How do I get my DH to hand wash pots when I can barely get him to load the dishwasher? It’s a bone of contention in our house and with us both working full time and having small children there is no way I want to add any more work to my load! 

If it’s going to be tricky then you may as well just get a dishwasher, as that’s the easy option. You could get a credit card, and put it on that, or if that’s too much effort then Brighthouse or the like could be what you need.

As you don’t want to have to go through the same trouble too soon I’d say that you should get the top of the range from a good brand.

Same with the drier, don’t worry about the cost, just get the one you want.

monetxchange

middleclassbutpoor said:

I don't want to detract from the OP here either and normally wouldn't respond but as my post has been viewed as not relevant, I wanted to explain why I felt it was relevant. 

As I read the post, there wasn't sufficient money to buy 2 new appliances, therefore I was making to point of selling the things you can sell to raise the emergency fund -  so if anything else happens, which may need to be fixed (like a boiler or a plumbing emergency for example) then the money is there.

The Dave Ramsey references of being gazelle like was in response to getting the Emergency Fund built up because that is the most important thing to do and it does feed into the debt repayment period also.   If those comments have triggered anyone, I would ask them to look at why it triggered them as there is nothing extreme in that?

The beans and rice comment isn't literal. Its what we do on here every day with an SOA. Until you get an EF, you should be living fugally as this is when you are most exposed to going back into debt. Its not about living like that forever.  However, I would still encourage people to do a SOA which gives them the best chance of getting out of debt as quickly as possible. 

The longer you are in debt, the more chance you have of life chucking you some more issues to deal with. 

Like I said, I didn’t disagree with the principle of the Dave Ramsey approach at all. It may have just been differences in posting style that made the context seem a little off.

I don’t think anyone said they were “triggered” by your post either. Another strange choice of words but like you say, it’s not relevant to the OP. I too have adopted quite a militant approach to debt clearing, but it’s not for everyone and I think it always pays to step back and consider the poster’s situation when posting such mantras.

Sharon87

zippygeorgeandben said:

If it is for a house deposit though, it's not an emergency fund is it?

I'm years off before I even consider buying a house. The HTB ISA has the best interest rate I can get! Once there's enough in there I will have say 2k emergency fund, then the rest will be for house deposit in say 5-6 years time.

Sharon87

middleclassbutpoor said:

Sharon87 said:

Sorry but some of this isn't helpful. Not everyone wants to live off of rice and beans! If you have 30k of debt, that's a lot rice and beans until you're debt free! I have 10k of debt, down from 15k. I still occasionally eat out, go on holidays. Yes I could have my debt paid off a year earlier, but as long as your debt is going down and it's not stressing you out, then having some luxuries is good for your mental health. FYI - I also have a modest emergency fund of £1200 - however I'd rather use it on a house deposit in the future, so would never want to withdraw it all (it's in a HTB ISA so I can withdraw it fee free in case of emergencies) I add to this every month. I predict my debt will be paid off in 2-3 years even with the holidays I have planned!

monetxchange said:

I get the principle that was behind the post, but I do too feel it's not particularly relevant to the OP really. They have got an emergency fund in place and are debt clearing. I don't think they needed telling they shouldn't be buying/spending anything and be living on rice. I too like Dave Ramsey, but the hardcore side of it isn't for everyone.

On heated dryers, they can be okay if you really want to use one. I had one and tended to find it made the room really stuffy and damp, and it was awkward to fit many clothes in on hangers. They then used to come out it quite stiff and smelt like the tent-style covering rather than any washing powder. They may have got better over the years, but a drying rack would do the same, albeit over a couple of days. That being said, dishwashers and dryers are lovely things to have if you can afford them/afford to run them!

I don't want to detract from the OP here either and normally wouldn't respond but as my post has been viewed as not relevant, I wanted to explain why I felt it was relevant. 

As I read the post, there wasn't sufficient money to buy 2 new appliances, therefore I was making to point of selling the things you can sell to raise the emergency fund -  so if anything else happens, which may need to be fixed (like a boiler or a plumbing emergency for example) then the money is there.

The Dave Ramsey references of being gazelle like was in response to getting the Emergency Fund built up because that is the most important thing to do and it does feed into the debt repayment period also.   If those comments have triggered anyone, I would ask them to look at why it triggered them as there is nothing extreme in that?

The beans and rice comment isn't literal. Its what we do on here every day with an SOA. Until you get an EF, you should be living fugally as this is when you are most exposed to going back into debt. Its not about living like that forever.  However, I would still encourage people to do a SOA which gives them the best chance of getting out of debt as quickly as possible. 

The longer you are in debt, the more chance you have of life chucking you some more issues to deal with. 

I wouldn't say I was triggered, it just came out of nowhere on a post like this! I guess I took your rice and beans analogy literally - it's hard to be sarcastic/not literal on the internet - without the use of emojis at least!

For the OP - just afford what appliance you would prefer. I have a dryer left by a previous housemate which I occasionally use, but wouldn't replace if it breaks. But if I had room and money for a dishwasher I would definitely get one as I hate doing the dishes! My sister is really glad she has both since she's had her kid, there's so much laundry and dishes to do that those appliances really help her.

So it's all down to what you want. I personally dry my clothes on a regular clothes airer which is next to the radiator and a window. So in winter the radiator helps to dry it quickly and in the summer the sunshine shines through the window and helps too! I prefer that because it doesn't damage my clothes like the dryer does. I only use the dryer for towels, older clothes I'm not fussed out and bedding.

Baileys_Babe

Sharon87 could you sell the dryer and use the space and put the money towards a dw.

We have a dw and it is a priority for us. We have never had nor have we wished for a dryer, even when we were a 7 person household, including 2 in washable nappies. We've always used the line when the weather cooperates or an airer and a dehumidifier to stop the house getting damp also speeds up the drying time.

JayRitchie

Neither dishwashers or dryers are the sort of item you dip into an emergency fund to replace. Savings - if you have them - yes - emergency fund - no. These are for emergencies! I think for someone with small children a dryer might be more essential - the rest of us can manage just fine without.