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Building an emergency fund while simultaneously paying off your student loans may be challenging, but both are crucial to your financial well-being. You have to make your monthly payments to ensure your student debt doesn’t spiral out of control, but solely focusing on this expense can leave you vulnerable in the event of a catastrophe. A budgeting strategy can help you appropriately divide up your income so that you can meet both of these goals.
Key Takeaways
- An emergency fund can prevent you from going into debt in the event of an unexpected expense, such as a surprise car repair or medical bill.
- How much should be kept in an emergency fund can vary from person to person, but a good rule of thumb is to aim for three to six months’ worth of monthly expenses.
- Sticking to a budgeting strategy, such as the 50/30/20 rule or zero-based budgeting (ZBB), can help you stay motivated and make consistent progress toward your savings goals.
Understanding the Importance of an Emergency Fund
An emergency fund is a liquid cash account set aside for unexpected events and expenses. These may include a job loss, a home or auto repair, medical bills, and more. Building and maintaining a healthy emergency fund is crucial for avoiding unnecessary debt no matter what life throws your way.
The amount you should maintain in an emergency fund should be based on your financial situation, so you’ll need to review your monthly expenses to determine an appropriate amount to put away. Generally, it’s a good idea to save an amount equal to at least three to six months of monthly expenses, or more if you can.
Setting Clear Financial Goals
Devising realistic financial goals is essential to making progress toward building your emergency fund while simultaneously paying down your student loans. Breaking down larger financial goals into smaller, actionable steps will make both goals easier to achieve and keep you motivated. To that end, the 50/30/20 rule and the zero-based budgeting (ZBB) rule are two smart budgeting strategies you can employ.
The 50/30/20 rule recommends putting 50% of your income toward your needs (housing, food, student debt payments, etc.), 30% toward your wants (dining out, vacations, streaming services, etc.), and 20% toward your savings. With this strategy, you can quantify how much of your income is going toward each expense category. If you’re meeting your needs but having trouble getting to that 20% figure, look for opportunities to lower your discretionary expenses to free up more funds for your savings.
The ZBB rule stipulates that every dollar you earn ought to be accounted for in your budget, such that your income minus expenses should equal $0 each month. This strategy effectively requires you to justify your expenses and ensure your funds are properly allocated. As such, you can easily determine how much excess income you have and what you’re spending on unnecessary expenses, either of which can go toward your savings without affecting your student loan payments.
Tip
If you’re struggling to keep up with your federal student loan payments, the U.S. Department of Education offers several resources to help you manage your debt. These include different types of repayment plans, forbearance and deferment options, and loan forgiveness opportunities.
The Bottom Line
Striking the right balance between emergency savings and student loan repayment can feel overwhelming, but it’s achievable if you employ the right strategy. Setting smart goals and budgeting can make it easier for you to stay on track. Consistently saving even a small amount each month, coupled with on-time student loan payments, can make a big difference in your long-term financial health.
