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Old 10-30-2009, 09:10 AM
ceejay74 ceejay74 is offline
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Thanks guys! Now I have more of an idea of the range of meanings it can have when someone recommends a 3-month EF or 6-month EF.

For myself, because I do spreadsheets for fun, I made out a budget where I cut all discretionary/spending money, any student loans that we could get hardship deferment for, and all savings. I cut the grocery/household line item way down. Cut Internet (we could go to the library) but kept cell phones (we have no land line). But then I added in $400 per month per person for health insurance and $85 per month per person for bus pass (our only mode of transportation).

It came to $4900/month. (That will go down to $4300/month in December when I pay off a debt with a large minimum payment!) Realistically we would stretch the money much farther because we'd have assistance like unemployment (and hopefully could find cheaper health coverage), but this is how much we'd want per month if we had no assistance.

Based on that number I have less than a month and a half in emergency funds. (But once I pay off that debt, just over a month and a half! What a difference getting rid of debt makes!)
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