Emergency funds exist to be spent, not admired.
This is something I want to say clearly, especially to beginner freelancers, because freelance life is unpredictable.
One day you have two or three clients. A week later, nothing. Zero.
Life is just as unpredictable. You never know what can happen in a minute or even a second.
I am not here to scare you. I just want to be honest about why emergency funds matter.
When I started working full-time and freelancing both online and offline, I tried to save.
But most of my money disappeared into food. I loved eating out and treating my only child at that time.
Real life. Real choices.
Saving felt hard. Until something happened.
My son got sick, and I did not have enough money to pay the hospital bills.
I had to borrow money from my mom.
I was grateful, but I was also embarrassed. I was working, yet still unprepared.
That moment stayed with me.
Not having an emergency fund, or having too little of it, is stressful. It puts you in a position where you need help because you did not protect yourself earlier.
So I changed how I handled money.
I sacrificed some things I loved:
Eating out
Cinema treats
Travel trips
Then I got practical. I listed my expenses like bills and groceries. Before money came in, it already had a job.
Utilities like water, electricity, and phone
Personal allowance for daily travel and food
Groceries with a clear budget and sensible choices
Personal savings and emergency fund
I committed to saving 20 percent for emergencies. That was a promise to myself.
Then one day, an emergency came. Our fridge suddenly got broke. Bad day for that moment, I just finished my grocery and I bought a lot of meat at that time.
Yes, it was a different type of emergency, and for me, I need a proper place storage of our food at that time. My emergency fund was not yet complete but enough for that type of emergency. So, I used all of it.
And for me, it was not a failure.
It did exactly what it was supposed to do. I paid what needed to be paid. I did not borrow money. Not even from family.
That is not failure. That is preparation working.
Guidance for your early stages of freelancing.
If you are freelancing or working full-time and building your emergency fund, understand this.
You are allowed to use it. That is the point.
Emergency funds are for sickness, lost work, and unexpected situations.
Using it does not mean you were irresponsible. It means you planned for real life.
The only real mistake is never starting again after you use it.
Post to you soon 📩
Charmaine 🩷😊