10 Smart Ways to Build an Emergency Fund

Want to build an emergency fund but aren’t sure where to start? Don’t miss these 10 super smart ways to build a $1000 emergency fund fast! 

There is nothing that can derail your financial progress faster than an emergency—or a global crisis for that matter. You think you’re doing okay, making headway towards your goals and boom! The refrigerator stops working, there’s a pandemic, your car breaks down or your child falls off her bike and needs four stitches in her chin. Suddenly you are right back in crisis mode.

If you’ve read Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover or have taken the Financial Peace University course, you already know that the very FIRST step in regaining control of your money and avoiding yet another financial crisis is to establish an immediate emergency fund of $1000. Financial planning company Brightpeak Financial recommends this as well—in fact, they are even willing to reward you for it!

While $1000 may feel daunting at first, the truth is that there are plenty of ways to build an emergency fund quickly. The key to success is being willing to accept the idea that getting your finances in order might not be fun or easy, but it will be worth the effort. Plus, the great thing about all of these ideas is that they will not only help you build your emergency fund, but they can also help you kickstart your debt snowball and get you well on your way to becoming debt-free!

10 Smart Ways to Build an Emergency Fund

Here are 10 super smart ideas to get you started!

1. Sell Something (Or Several Somethings)

Chances are that if you have found yourself in a financial crisis, you have probably bought more than a few things you either didn’t need or couldn’t afford along the way. It is time to start cutting your losses by selling anything and everything you can. Don’t hang on to things because you are afraid you won’t get what you paid—you won’t.  The money is already gone but at least you will be making progress towards a solution. Check out this post for great tips on how to sell your stuff on eBay, Craigslist, Facebook or at a garage sale (and for knowing which one to use!). And, if by some chance you still haven’t opened the item, see if you can return it to the store you bought it from! (You never know!)

“We sold our whole bedroom set for $900 and have been sleeping with the mattress on the floor for almost a year. Last week a friend came over to visit and saw that we had no bedroom furniture and the next day she GAVE us her whole set and bought herself a new one. God is always doing amazing things in my life like this!” ~Jade Hodge

“I returned my Christmas present from my husband. It was a Cricut Die Cutting machine that I thought I wanted desperately. Guess what? I wanted an emergency fund and to be out of debt WAY more.” ~Andrea Vaughn

2. Get a Second Job

It doesn’t have to be your dream job and if you are struggling to make ends meet, here is the brutal truth: There is no job you are “too good” for. Go work at McDonald’s or deliver pizza, wait tables or clean houses, stock grocery shelves at night or find customer service or secretarial jobs. Check out the classified section of the newspaper or look on Craigslist—jobs may be hard to come by sometimes, but I promise there are always jobs for people who are willing to work hard and do anything. Not sure how to do it? Check out this post for a few great tips on how to land a part-time job!

“I went back to work and used every single penny or every single paycheck (this is not an exaggeration) for a full year to put towards my bills. I also had two HUGE yard sales and made about $1500. At the end of that year, all by myself, I had paid off approx $22,000 in debt.”  ~Kris Stevens-Starks

“I started dog sitting. I sometimes make more money dog sitting than I do at my “real” job!” ~Deb Foster

“I started cleaning houses on the weekend and took the money from that and invested in items to embroider and sell…kind of started a little business all with the goal of paying off debt!” ~Daisy Work

“Delivered Yellowbooks to pick up extra cash. Easy and got exercise while doing it without a gym membership!” ~Shawna Squibb

3. Work from Home

If going out and getting a job outside the home isn’t an option, consider finding a way to work from home instead. Do you stay home with your kids? Why not offer babysitting or after-school care for a few of their friends whose parents need childcare? Are you good with computers? How about becoming a Virtual Assistant? Do you sew? Why not offer a tailoring service or perhaps sell your own items on Etsy.com? Are you able to spot a diamond in the rough? You could salvage & spruce up old furniture then resell it on Craigslist. Still not sure what to do? These fifteen ideas for making money at home are a great place to start or discover how to make money blogging.

“We cleaned out some big-ticket “toys” (motorcycle, jeep, etc) to clear a line of debt and put a chunk in savings. My husband used the profit to buy a table saw that he now earns money from doing side projects. All side project earnings go straight to paying off debt. We’re free of a car loan, 3 student loans, and 2 credit cards in the last 6 months. Thank the Lord!!” ~ Sarah Burmeister

“As a graduate student, I bought designer gowns at the Salvation Army and resold them at trendy consignment shops. Financed my education for two years.”~Mary Walker

4. Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half

If the thought of starting your own home business is too overwhelming, why not instead start by cutting your everyday expenses? Just a few simple tweaks to the way you shop for food can result in drastic savings at the checkout line. Start by buying only what is on sale, then stockpile items when they are at their lowest price. Eat less meat (and save on the meat you do buy), plan your meals using a budget-friendly service such as eMeals, which lets you plan your menu based on what is on sale at your grocery store that week. (You can even try it free for two weeks!)

“I started monthly meal planning, so no wasted trips to the store, which saves a lot of money!“~Reader Leah Donn Scott

“We save money by using coupons and combine them with sites like Ibotta and Checkout 51 that pay you cash for buying items you already buy like milk, cereal, eggs, and bread. We also do a lot of meal planning freezer meals and take lunches to work.” ~Becky Tester

5. Save on Utilities

Spending too much on things like electricity, water, phone or even cable is practically like pouring money down the drain. Another great way to “earn” money from home is to start paying close attention to the money you are spending right in your own home without even thinking about it. A little vigilance can go a long way! Consider using a service such as BillCutterz. This innovative service helps negotiate better rates for all your bills and then splits the difference with you, which means that they only get paid if they are saving you money. Check out this post for 12 more smart ways to save on utilities!

“I ditched cable and got a Roku box. Small savings month to month help a lot!” ~Reader Sarah Eckert

“We called providers for every single bill we have (credit card, utility, phone, satellite, car, insurance, mortgage) and threatened to terminate our account unless they lowered the bill. It worked for everyone, even the mortgage company! The key is you have to mean it and have a number in mind that you want to pay. Don’t give up!!“~Carter Robinson

“We live by candlelight every other week put the money we save on electricity into savings.“~Chris Schmeltzer

6. Stop Eating Out or Ordering Takeout

Believe me, I get it! When life gets hectic sometimes eating out just seems like the path of least resistance. After all, fast food is quick and easy and relatively cheap, right? Wrong! All those quick & easy fast food meals still add up to a lot more than you would pay to just eat at home, and just a couple of family dinners at a nice sit-down restaurant or a daily run to Starbucks could pay for a whole month’s worth of food and coffee at home. Why not try scheduling a freezer cooking day to stock up on ready-made meals?

“We very rarely eat out, cut back on meat dinners and eat beans, lentils, etc instead. I’m a single mom with no child support or alimony and I’m still able to pay down and pay off my debts!” ~Karen Muri

“I Gave up my Redbull and Starbucks addictions–it gave me an extra $300 a month.” ~Jennifer Bryan

7. Get Free Stuff

It is actually pretty amazing to find out how much stuff you can get for free (or close to free) once you really start looking. Check out sites like Freecycle.org or the free section on Craigslist.org, or just drive around an upscale neighborhood on trash day to find things you need, or even to repurpose and resell. Bartering with friends and neighbors for goods and services is also a great way to get the things you need for free while taking advantage of online freebies and samples can help keep expenses down as well.

“I scrounge around Goodwill frequently and rehab stuff to sell on Craigslist. Found a huge Pottery Barn rug at Goodwill once. Had a few stains but otherwise ok. Looked it up online, the retail price was $250. Cleaned it, then sold on Craigslist for $80, and put that toward debt.“~Angie Doster

“I stopped buying beauty and cleaning products, and turned to my pantry for all of those needs!!! It’s amazing how a little vinegar, baking soda, honey, and lemon can transform into all that you really need!!! It adds up to hundreds in savings, and I squirrel the money away into my savings“~Bonnie Pierce

“I picked up perfectly good toys in someone’s trash and sold them online in less than an hour” ~Cindy Gillis-Williams

8. Earn Inbox Dollars

If you haven’t already, sign up for Inbox Dollars ASAP then check out this post to see all the ways you can earn Inbox Dollars doing the things you already do anyway, such as searching the web or shopping online. Signing up is super easy. You will even get a $5.00 bonus just for signing up when you confirm your email address. The coolest part about Inbox Dollars is they actually pay cash—no need to trade in points for gift cards—and you can request to be paid anytime you hit the $3.00 minimum requirement (which isn’t hard!). There is even a mobile app you can use to earn Inbox Dollars on the go.

9. Skip This Year’s Vacation (if you had one planned)

Here’s another hard dose of reality: if you don’t have any money in your savings account, you can’t afford to go on vacation. Period. Put that money you would have spent right into your savings account. Not only will you be ahead of the game in building an emergency fund, but you’ll be able to go on vacation next year AND have money in your emergency fund (and not have to spend it). Honestly, between the gas, the lodging and the food (not to mention the unforeseen expenses that always come up), even the most frugal vacations still cost more than staying home. You could try planning a Staycation instead, or better yet, spend your week planning to sell stuff online or work on your side-hustle to earn some extra cash!

“We canceled a vacation so our savings would not be touched.“~Rachel Carrier-Stone

10. Go on a Spending Freeze with Like-Minded Friends

Years of living in a “spend” mode can sometimes make it hard to stop, even when you know you should. Even so, if you are committed to building that emergency fund then you need to resist the temptation any way you can. The LWSL Financial Rescue Pack will help you figure out how to get started from scratch. More than 100,000 readers have implemented the Financial Rescue Pack that starts with the 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero Challenge and have had life-changing results! A great way to ensure success is to team up with others who are taking on the same challenge (and want to build up that emergency fund) in order to hold each other accountable.

To recap, here are 10 Smart Ways to Build an Emergency Fund:

1. Sell Something (Or Several Somethings)
2. Get a Second Job
3. Work from Home
4. Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
5. Save on Utilities
6. Stop Eating Out or Ordering Takeout
7. Get Free Stuff
8. Earn Inbox Dollars
9. Skip This Year’s Vacation (if you had one planned)
10. Go on a Spending Freeze with Like-Minded Friends

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While building an emergency fund might feel difficult or even impossible at first, it doesn’t have to be. Start adopting a new mentality, and you might just be surprised at how quickly you can start saving.

If you love this resource, be sure to check out our digital library of helpful tools and resources for cleaning faster, taking control of your budget, organizing your schedule and getting food on the table easier than ever before.

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