Why Is an Emergency Fund Your Lifeline to Financial Peace?

Imagine this.

You're driving home, and then suddenly your car makes that noise, you know, that one that screams expensive repair.

Does your stomach clench it to thought, knowing even a small, unexpected cost could throw everything off?

Well, today we're tackling that feeling, that feeling like you're just one unexpected bump in the road away from a financial crisis.

But here's the best part.

I've got a solution, so stick around as I share that with you today.

In a world where crushing debt keeps you trapped, where living paycheck to paycheck has become your new Norma, the dream of retirement seems impossibly out of reach.

There's hope.

Join financial evangelist Ralph Estepp Jr.

A man who's walked through the fire of financial failure and emerged stronger on the other side.

Welcome to Ask Ralph, the show where real world experience meets biblical truth.

To break the bondage of financial despair, get ready to take control of your money, break free from the financial stress, and align your resources with God's purpose for your life.

This is Ask Ralph with Ralph Estepp Jr.

Welcome back to Ask Ralph.

This is the Daily show where our goal is to talk about faith and we talk about finances.

All about helping you find financial freedom and growing your faith.

I'm Ralph the financial evangelist, and I am so glad that you're here with me today.

Thank you so much for giving me some of your time.

And my goal is pretty simple.

It's to help you break that cycle of financial shame and do it with confidence.

And today we're tackling a question that might hit close to home for many of you, and that comes to us from a listener question.

This woman's name was Laura.

She sent me this email, and she put it about as plainly as you can put it.

She writes this.

Hey, Ralph, I always feel like I'm one unexpected bill away from disaster.

What can I do?

Well, Laura, thank you so much for your honesty.

And that feeling is incredibly common.

I hear it all the time.

And maybe you're listening right now and you feel it, too.

It's an incredibly stressful situation when you feel like you're just one unexpected bill away from complete financial disaster.

So let's talk about that feeling today, that one of feeling like you've got this constant anxiety, you've got that constant stress, like there's.

There's no buffer, there's no breathing room in your finances.

Maybe you've experienced it as well.

You know, that immediate car repair that you weren't expecting.

All of a sudden you hear that boom, boom, boom.

And next thing you know, you're at the mechanic shop and that bill, we don't even want to talk about that.

Or maybe it's that unexpected medical bill or it's that, that, that temporary job loss.

And listen, that happens.

I was just talking to a client yesterday, you're working on his tax return.

And I asked him, you know, how are you doing?

He says, ralph, I've been in a real struggle.

I lost my job last September, I got laid off.

And you know, he's, he's making it work.

But it's been a real struggle for you.

And all of a sudden that unexpected, that unexpected thing, that bump in the road you weren't planning for, that unexpected inconvenience turns into a crisis.

And those crises are real.

And then come the consequences.

The consequences of these crisis could be potential debt.

Maybe you've got to go run up a credit card.

We're going to be talking about credit cards tomorrow, so make sure you join me tomorrow.

But the consequences are stress, they're anxiety, they're, they're fear.

Get the idea?

And all of these things just absolutely rob you.

They steal you of your peace.

But I've got great news today.

You don't have to live in this constant state of fear.

Now, I always like to look at the Bible.

And the Bible offers what I'll call timeless wisdom on planning and preparation for you.

And I love this, this verse of the book, Proverbs, chapter six.

So listen to this.

Go to the ant, you sluggard.

Consider its ways and be wise.

It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provision in the summer, and it gathers its food at harvest.

That's right, from Proverbs, chapter 6, verses 6 to 8.

Now, I encourage you to check that out.

And you have to ask yourself, like, what in the world is Ralph talking about today?

He's talking about ants on this show.

But what can we learn from the ant?

And there's so much we can learn from that.

The ant works diligently, works diligently, prepared for the future before it arrives.

And it does it without someone even telling it to do it.

See, it uses the season of abundance.

That's the summertime of our lives.

It stores up what it needs for those leaner times.

Those harvest times are those winter times.

And here's the connection.

Your emergency fund.

And that's what I'll be talking about today.

Your emergency fund is like that ant, storing up those resources.

And you store those things up during those relatively stable financial times.

We'll call that your financial summer so that you're able to handle those unexpected challenges.

We'll call that your financial winter.

And here's an absolute truth that I want to share with you.

And you need to hear this.

Living without that buffer is exhausting, Laura.

You, you brought it to light.

And it keeps you from experiencing that stability that wise preparation can bring.

And we all want to find that, that stability.

We want to find that, that wise preparation.

So I've got a single solution for you today, Laura.

You asked, what can I do?

And maybe you're listening right now and you're asking that very same question.

And the answer is this.

First, your first crucial step.

And I'm just going to cover this today.

I want you to build a starter emergency fund.

Now, I want to emphasize the word starter.

I'm not talking about three to six months of emergency funds of income set aside.

I think that's a good long term goal.

But don't let this overwhelm you.

I just want this to be a starter thing.

Kind of think about it in terms of your financial life jacket.

Now, it's not going to stop the storm.

It's not going to, it's not going to prevent the storm.

But it might give you some immediate security.

If you fall into one of those traps, it can be your immediate buffer.

And it's going to stand between you and that unexpected event and that thing that Laura talked about, that feeling of complete financial disaster.

So here's the action.

I want you to take just a very single action step this week.

Your mission, if you choose to take it.

I want you to put aside $500.

Yes.

I want you to save your first $500.

Now, I know for some people you might be saying, ralph, that's a lot of money.

Yes, it's a lot of money.

Or maybe you're listening to this and like Ralph, that's no big deal at all.

But here's the thing I wanted to start with.

I wanted to start with that starter of $500 because of really two reasons.

Number one, it's achievable.

You can do this and it's going to make a huge difference for you.

You might be saying, yeah, that's great, Ralph, but.

But how do I even get started?

See, here's how I'm going to tell you how to do it.

Now, these are just some ideas, but the first thing I want you to do is create a separate savings account.

And this is the key to it.

You don't want something mixed.

You know, maybe name it.

Your, my emergency fund.

You want to make it accessible.

But you don't want to make it too easy to get to.

Once you do that, find that $500 and you can be creative with this.

Maybe you need to be prayerful about it.

Well, let me just give you a couple of ideas.

Maybe you cut one small expense.

You know, on a live show yesterday, Craig and I talked about eating out or maybe coffee.

And those things add up even 10 or $20 a day.

In 30 days, that puts you close to $500.

So maybe that's one idea.

Another idea is maybe sell something new.

Maybe you have some stuff around the house that you no longer need.

Maybe some clothing or some furniture or electronics.

You know, this is a great time to declutter.

And if you're not using something, maybe put that to work and that will help you get started on that emergency fund.

Maybe you don't have that.

Maybe you want to pick up a small side business, you know, maybe do some babysitting or do some lawn mowing or.

Or find just a temporary gig to get you that first initial $500.

Now, another thing that I'm working with clients every day on this, maybe it's your tax refund.

A tax refund is actually a great place to start that emergency fund.

And don't forget to pray about it.

You can ask God for his wisdom, you can ask God for the opportunity.

And then your focus is really to just laser focus on that $500 goal because that's going to give you some immediate peace of mind.

And that is so important.

So Laura and anyone else, listen back to your question.

You asked.

How do I feel more secure?

Well, it starts here.

Like I said, focus like a laser on saving that first $500.

Why?

Because it's your first line of defense.

It's that first step away from that, getting rid of that feeling of disaster.

And the thing I really like about this, because it's manageable, it's achievable, it proves to you that you can save.

And it's going to be something real and it's going to be tangible and it's going to give some security for you.

And I really think that's where we need to start.

Well, let's pray together today.

Lord, thank you for your provision.

We come to you with these anxieties and these stresses that finances can bring on all of us.

That feeling of vulnerability that Laura described today.

Lord, we ask that you grant us wisdom like the proverb speaks of that wisdom to plan and to save.

Just like the ant preparing for the future.

Lord, give us the discipline to take that first step to build that starter emergency fund.

And Lord, we ask you to help us maybe find creative ways to reach that $500 goal.

And Lord, we ask you to replace our anxiety with your peace, that peace that surpasses all understanding, knowing that you are our ultimate provider and you are our security.

Lord, help us to be good stewards of the resources you've entrusted to us.

And we ask all of this in Jesus name.

All right, well, that's the focus for today, folks.

Just tackling that one bill away from disaster.

And listen, you can take this one concrete action.

Start by saving your first $500 for emergencies.

And let me just tell you, it's a powerful step.

And if you do it, it will help you get moving towards financial peace and security.

And remember this, building your financial freedom is a journey.

This isn't going to happen overnight.

I don't expect you to do this.

$500 stay if you can.

Great, set it aside.

But this is a journey and it's going to align with this idea of growing in your faith and growing in your stewardship.

Now, tomorrow, as I promised, we're going to talk about credit cards, and we're going to specifically talk about the proper use of credit cards.

So until then, I want to encourage you, as I always say, stay financially savvy, keep moving forward in breaking this cycle of financial shame with confidence.

And before I go today, I just want to remind you I would love to have you as a member of our newsletter.

You can do that by going to airscrow podcast.com newsletter and let me send you a daily email with encouragement and resources to help you find that peace and break that cycle of financial shame.

So God bless you today.

And just remember, you can do this.

It just starts with taking that very first step towards financial freedom.

Have a great day.

Thank you for joining us on the Ask Ralph show, and with a simple click to subscribe, we'll invite you back to our next episode.

And remember, financial issues don't have to be complicated.

Just Ask Ralph the information contained in this episode of Ask Ralph is based on data available as of the date of its release.

Sagio Accounting plus and AskRalph Media, Inc.

Is under no obligation to update this content if changes occur.

Applying this information to your specific situation requires careful consideration of all facts and circumstances, and any information provided is not to be considered as financial, tax or legal advice.

Please consult your tax advisor or attorney before acting on any material.