Here’s How to Create a $1,000 Emergency Fund (2024)

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When you’re broke, it feels like you’re always going to be broke. It’s a never-ending cycle. You don’t have money, so you miss a bill and rack up a late charge — that you can’t pay. Because you’re broke.

The first step toward getting yourself out of this cycle is to build up a little financial cushion. Let’s call it your emergency fund. How’s $1,000 sound?

Even if you feel like you’re stuck, we’ve got eight tips to help you out. And if you follow them all, you could have an extra $1,000 (or more!) in two months’ time. It’ll be worth it — and it doesn’t have to be hard.

We’ll break it down for you week by week:

Week 1: Get Free Cash for Playing Bingo

There’s a free iPhone app calledBingo Cashthat pays you up to $80 when you win bingo.

The game is based on a classic Bingo format — plus tons of variations on the game. You’ll battle it out against other players at your same skill level. Everyone gets the same board and sees the same Bingo balls, so winning is totally a matter of skill. The top three players in a game can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $80.

5 Companies That Send People Money When They’re Asked Nicely

When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look? Probably not as good as you’d like.

It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings. But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?

Ask one of these companies to help….

Over on the App Store, it has a 4.7-star rating (out of 5).To get started, justdownload the free appand start playing your first game immediately.

Week 2: Ask This Company to PayYour Credit Card Bills

No, like… the whole bill. All of it.

While you’re stressing out over your debt, your credit card company is getting rich off those insane interest rates.But a website called AmOne wants to help.

If you owe your credit card companies $100,000 or less, AmOne will match you with a low-interest loan you can use to pay off every single one of your balances.

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6 Companies That Send People Money When They're Asked Nicely

The benefit? You’ll be left with one bill to pay each month. And because personal loans have lower interest rates (AmOne rates start at 6.40% APR), you’ll get out of debt that much faster. Plus: No credit card payment this month.

You don’t need a perfect credit score to get a loan — and comparing your options won’t affect your score at all. Plus, AmOne keeps your information confidential and secure, which is probably why after 20 years in business, it still has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

It takes less than a minute and just 10 questions to see what loans you qualify for — you don’t even need to enter your Social Security number. You do need to give AmOne a real phone number in order to qualify, but don’t worry — they won’t spam you with phone calls.

Week 3: Cancel Your Car Insurance

Here’s How to Create a $1,000 Emergency Fund (1)

When was the last time you compared car insurance rates? Chances are you’re seriously overpaying with your current policy.

If it’s been more than six months since your last car insurance quote, you should look again.

And if you look througha website called EverQuote, you cansee all your options at once.

EverQuote is the largest online marketplace for insurance in the US, so you’ll get the top options from more than 175 different carriers handed right to you.

Take a couple of minutes to answer some questions about yourself and your driving record. With this information, EverQuote will be able to give you the top recommendations for car insurance. In just a few minutes, you could save up to $610 a year.

Week 4: This Research Company Will Pay You up to $225/Month to Watch Videos

This week, you’re going add a little extra cash to your savings stash. But guess what? You don’t even have to leave your couch.

InboxDollarswill pay you to watch short video clips online. One minute you might watch someone bake brownies and the next you might get the latest updates on Kardashian drama.

All you have to do is choose which videos you want to watch and answer a few quick questions about them afterward.

No, InboxDollars won’t replace your full-time job, but it’s possible to earn up to $225 per month watching these videos.

It’s already paid its users more than $50 million.

It takes about one minute to sign up, and you’ll immediatelyget a $5 bonusto get you started.

Week 5: Get a Free $80 for Playing This Cell Phone Game

Lots of us already play Solitaire on our phones for fun or just to pass the time. Want to see if you can win money at it?

There’s a free iPhone app called Solitaire Cash that lets you play for real money. You could get paid up to $83 per win.

You might be thinking: There’s got to be a catch. This is definitely one of those spammy apps, right?

Wrong. There really isn’t a catch. Sure, you can pay to play in some higher-stakes tournaments, but there’s no pressure. And, in fact, there aren’t even any annoying ads.

With each game, you’ll battle it out against at least five other players. Everyone gets the same deck, so winning is totally a matter of skill. The top three players who solve the deck fastest can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.

Over on the App Store, it has over a million downloads and more than 15,000 ratings, averaging 4.7 stars (out of 5).

To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.

Week 6: UseThis Free Debit Card to Get Cash Back on Every Purchase

Wouldn’t it be nice if you got special treatment wherever you went? You can actually get rewards wherever you shop, using this free debit card from Discover.

You’ll earn 1% cash back on every single purchase you make using your Discover® Cashback Debit account, on up to $3,000 monthly.* There’s no impact on your credit score for signing up and no minimum balance requirements ever.

Need groceries? Tap your card for cash back. You can also get paid sooner with Early Pay direct deposit, protect against overdrafts and access to over 60,000 ATMs without fees. You can handle all of your banking needs through the app and connect a virtual wallet like Apple Pay to amplify your rewards. And on top of all that, checking-account deposits are FDIC-insured up to the maximum amount allowed by law.

Does your bank do all that? If not, open a free Discover checking account to get special treatment from a bank that will actually put money back into your account.

*See website for details.

Week 7:Get Paid up to $80/Month — Just for Sharing Your Opinion

Taking surveys might not sound like the best way to make money, but if you’re just vegging out on the couch — or pretending to be interested in your partner’s new favorite show — why not click a couple buttons? It could earn you up to $80 a month. Seriously.

There are a bunch of paid survey sites out there, but one of the best we’ve found is Survey Junkie.

They’ll ask you questions about things like, what kind of laundry detergent you use, or if you prefer Pepsi or co*ke. You get points for answering, and many people accumulate enough points to request a check within a few hours.

More than 10 million people already use Survey Junkie, and it has 4.5/5 stars on TrustPilot.

Give it a try by visiting Survey Junkie and clicking the “Join Now” button. It’s free.

5 Companies That Send People Money When They’re Asked Nicely

When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look? Probably not as good as you’d like. It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.

But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?

Ask one of these companies to help….

Ready to stop worrying about money?

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Here’s How to Create a $1,000 Emergency Fund (2024)

FAQs

Here’s How to Create a $1,000 Emergency Fund? ›

While nobody really wants to tap into their emergency savings, most Americans couldn't even afford to do so if they had to. A stunning new Bankrate survey of 1,030 individuals finds that more than half of American adults (56%) lack sufficient savings to shoulder an unexpected $1,000 expense.

How can I get a $1000 emergency fund? ›

How to Build an Emergency Fund
  1. Set a total savings goal. Okay, what are you looking to save: that $1,000 starter emergency fund or the 3–6 month fully funded emergency fund? ...
  2. Make a budget. ...
  3. Decrease your expenses. ...
  4. Increase your income. ...
  5. Automate your savings.
Apr 5, 2024

What percentage of Americans have a $1000 emergency fund? ›

While nobody really wants to tap into their emergency savings, most Americans couldn't even afford to do so if they had to. A stunning new Bankrate survey of 1,030 individuals finds that more than half of American adults (56%) lack sufficient savings to shoulder an unexpected $1,000 expense.

How to save $1000 in 3 months? ›

If you wanted to save $1,000 in three months, for example, you'd need to save roughly $84 per week. That timeline can also provide you an opportunity to invest in a high-yielding time deposit account.

What is a good starter amount for an emergency fund? ›

You can start by building an emergency fund of $500. Then, you can add to it to give yourself six months of cushion if needed. Answer a few questions and we'll give you your optimal fund size, as well as more resources to help you save.

What is the Dave Ramsey 1000 rule? ›

Baby Step 1: Save $1,000 for Your Starter Emergency Fund

In this first step, your goal is to save $1,000 as fast as you can. Your emergency fund will cover those unexpected life events you can't plan for.

What percentage of Americans can't afford a $1000 emergency? ›

Bankrate's latest survey results found 56% of U.S. adults lack the emergency funds to handle a $1,000 unexpected expense and one-third (35%) said they would have to borrow the money somehow to pay for it.

What is the 50 30 20 rule? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings.

What is a realistic emergency fund amount? ›

While the size of your emergency fund will vary depending on your lifestyle, monthly costs, income, and dependents, the rule of thumb is to put away at least three to six months' worth of expenses.

How many people can't afford $1000 emergency? ›

A $1,000 unexpected emergency expense could derail the lives of more than half of all Americans, according to a new survey. The survey was conducted by Bankrate, a financial analysis and comparison site. Bankrate found that only 44% of Americans surveyed could afford a $1,000 emergency expense.

How to save $1000 fast Dave Ramsey? ›

Financial expert Dave Ramsey has a lot of ideas on the subject, and here are some of the most practical ways to save your first $1,000 quickly.
  1. Cancel Subscriptions. ...
  2. Bring Your Own Lunch. ...
  3. Avoid Coffee Out. ...
  4. Re-Sell Old Items. ...
  5. Shop at Cheaper Grocery Stores With Rewards Programs. ...
  6. Buy Generic. ...
  7. Join a Carpool.
Dec 28, 2023

How to save $5000 in 100 days? ›

The 100-envelope challenge is pretty straightforward: You take 100 envelopes, number each of them and then save the corresponding dollar amount in each envelope. For instance, you put $1 in “Envelope 1,” $2 in “Envelope 2,” and so on. By the end of 100 days, you'll have saved $5,050.

How to make 1000 in 30 days? ›

7 Easy Ways to Make $1,000 in 30 Days
  1. Have a Month of Essential Spending Only. ...
  2. Earn by Driving for Uber or Lyft. ...
  3. Delivering Food and More. ...
  4. Bake and Sell — Sweet Profits. ...
  5. Serving and Bartending. ...
  6. Leverage Extra Hours at Work. ...
  7. Expand Your Freelance Clientele.

How much emergency fund does Dave Ramsey have? ›

How Much You Should Have in Your Emergency Savings. Here's a Dave Ramsey principle we agree with: If you make less than $20,000 per year, aim to have at least $500 in emergency savings. If you make more than $20,000, then aim for at least $1,000.

What is a millionaires best friend ramsey? ›

One awesome thing that you can take advantage of is compound interest. It may sound like an intimidating term, but it really isn't once you know what it means. Here's a little secret: compound interest is a millionaire's best friend. It's really free money.

How much cash should I keep at home? ›

“We would recommend between $100 to $300 of cash in your wallet, but also having a reserve of $1,000 or so in a safe at home,” Anderson says. Depending on your spending habits, a couple hundred dollars may be more than enough for your daily expenses or not enough.

How many people can afford a $1000 emergency? ›

Only 44% of U.S. adults would pay an emergency expense of $1,000 or more from their savings, as of December 2023 polling. 35% would borrow money, including 21% who would finance with a credit card and pay it off over time, 10% who would borrow from family or friends and 4% who would take out a personal loan.

How to start an emergency fund with no money? ›

7 easy steps to get your emergency fund started
  1. Make a budget and see where you can start saving more money. ...
  2. Determine your emergency fund goal. ...
  3. Set up a direct deposit. ...
  4. Gradually increase your savings. ...
  5. Save unexpected income. ...
  6. Keep saving after reaching your goal. ...
  7. Use a bank account bonus to jumpstart your savings.
Feb 29, 2024

How many people can afford a $1,000 dollar emergency? ›

Fewer than half of Americans, 44%, say they can afford to pay a $1,000 emergency expense from their savings, according to Bankrate's survey of more than 1,000 respondents conducted in December. That is up from 43% in 2023, yet level when compared to 2022.

Is $1000 enough for a starter emergency fund? ›

For the average person, $1,000 may not be enough emergency savings. Many experts suggest saving enough money to cover at least three to six months of living expenses. $1,000 is a great starting point, but consider continuing to build your emergency fund to have a solid stash of savings for emergencies.

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