ATLANTA - What do you do when you have a financial emergency? Well, too many Americans are stuck. Federal Reserve numbers reveal 40 percent of us don't have $400 in emergency savings.
Not all of us are natural savers. I know I’m not, so I trick myself into saving money. And so does Tarra Jackson, a traveling financial educator. She reminds us that there’s nothing like a pricey emergency to ruin planned spending like Christmas shopping.
“It's probably going to kill some of your planned holiday shopping. Those holiday shopping budget busters are the worst because you don't know when they're coming.”
Wise advice from a woman as comfortable being called Madame Money as she is by her real name. She's penned a book called “Financial Fornication” and she travels the country educating everyday people on how to be better money managers. Her goal is get us to save for emergencies - things she calls budget busters.
“One-third of Americans keep their vehicles seven years or more. Which means, a car breakdown is inevitable.”
And that's often not cheap. How about your heating and air unit?
“What we don't want it to do is to breakdown in the summer or in the winter when it's cold. And that can cost you thousands of dollars,” she told me.
But, if Americans can’t keep a few hundred bucks in savings, this adds up to trouble. Madame Money says trick yourself into saving. She does it with something she calls her momma account.
“Just like momma won't give you everything you want but will give you everything you need. That's why I call it my momma account. I set it and forget it,” she said laughing.
She puts her savings into an account she can't access easily. It can take up to 48 hours to get the money. Just like many of us she likes to spend. So, she does, but strikes a deal with herself: I can buy it, if it's on sale or a discount. No. Full. Price.
“Usually with discount stores you can get a lot more for relatively the same price, so you have to shop less, or you can reduce the spending on products that you have. I love my discount stores.”
Here’s another trick that works. She uses different words for things that she doesn’t like to do. Savings. That sounds like a chore, so dump it. It’s time to set up that fun account. Remind yourself that the money you set aside, will be used for vacation down the road.
Oh, one last thing: Don't ever touch that money before it goes into the fun account. If you do, you'll spend it. Have it sent by direct deposit to the hands-off account.