You know it’s just a matter of time before it happens, right?

It’s like your car breaks down right at the exact same time that your hot water heater decides to call it quits.

And then, the next thing you know, you’ve got this major toothache sending shock waves through your brain with each – throbbing – beat. Now you need to see a dentist immediately!

But you’re already barely scraping by financially as it is. And you have no idea how you’re going to cover the cost of any one of those catastrophes. Not to mention, all three!

Tough break! It’s sad, but unfortunately, unexpected expenses are a fact of life.

It’s Murphy’s Law in action — Anything that can go wrong, will!

So if a disaster were to strike today — are you ready? What’s your current plan for dealing with an unexpected expense?

Will you…turn to credit cards? No Bueno! That only increases your debt! Beg from friends? How humiliating! Or…grovel to your parents — again? No thanks!

As adults, we all have a deep-seated desire for independence, financial security, and peace of mind.

But you’re probably wondering if it’s even possible to achieve those things and still be prepared to weather life’s storms?

The answer is, yes!

Thankfully it is possible! I’ve had my share of knockdowns by unexpected expenses. So I’ve learned the importance of being proactive. Because being reactive rarely produces positive results.

And you already know that sooner or later — Winter is coming! (And in case you’re not a Game of Thrones fan, with winter comes bad things)

So here are a few helpful tricks to help get you prepared in no time.

First, you need to…

Anticipate Upcoming Expenses

This is definitely a matter of mindset. Of course, we all hope the bad things will never happen. But, that’s called wishful thinking and even a bit of denial.

Or perhaps it’s our brain’s way of coping with stressful money situations.

But the good news is, there are some things you can anticipate ahead of time and start preparing for.

Think of all the usual expenses that occur every year. You know, the ones that you tend to block out of your mind until you’re forced to deal with them. And then every year, you’re never ready.

For instance:

• • Property Taxes that are not already included in your mortgage

• • Vehicle Registrations

• • Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Holidays

• • Some insurance premiums including homeowners

• • Tax preparation

• • Back to school clothing and supplies

• • High electric bills in the summer

• High heating bills in the winter

These expenses do sting, but they should not be a surprise. They are just money-grubbing inconveniences. And if you want to make them a less stressful financial burden, then you need to do the math! Be proactive!

Get out your pen and paper! Then list all your yearly expenses. Add up the total, and then divide by 12.

That’s how much you need to be saving each month for your annual expenses if you want to stay ahead of the storm.

I’ve heard of situations where very determined people create separate savings accounts for annual expenses. Such as home repairs, vehicle repairs, taxes, vacation, gift giving and so on.

The bottom line is that you must factor these expenses into your monthly budget. You do have one of those, right? If not, check out Mint or Personal Capital which are both free to use and will help get you on track with budgeting.

Now anticipating costs based on yearly events is one way to prepare.

But an even better strategy would be to…

Stop Avoiding The Obvious

So can you handle the truth? Well here’s a good dose of it.

You need an Emergency Fund!

Yes, I know…I know you’ve heard it a million times before! But there’s a reason this same old advice keeps being repeated.

Because it’s important!

Truth is, there are very few expenses outside of medical emergencies that should be unexpected. We all know bad things can happen at any time. Mostly we choose to ignore things until we just can’t any longer.

For instance, there was a time when I drove an older model car that started smoking from the tailpipe — ignored it! And then there was a time when my washing machine started making funny noises. I kept washing like nothing was wrong — denial!

Now you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce that those were definite warning signs of impending money trouble.

So in situations like these, you should not have to stress or wonder how you will make it through. And you shouldn’t need to call for help from others.

That’s when it’s time for — Emergency Fund to the rescue! So if you don’t have one, then your priority needs to be to set one up and start saving ASAP! And there should always be a bare minimum of $1,000 available in this account.

You can easily set up an account online with sites like CapitalOne360 savings. It’s fee-free and requires no minimum monthly balance.  

But be sure to use this account strictly for emergencies. And replace any used money as quickly as possible.

Now if your funds are already stretched to the limit with no room for savings, then here are some ways to earn extra cash.

Tips to quickly grow your emergency fund

• Stop eating out! Again, I’m sure you hear this a lot. But seriously, if you wrote down the amount you spend in just one month on eating out it may make your eyes pop out of your head.

When I tried this, I couldn’t believe it! I often eat out for lunch about 3 days a week. I spend about $8 each time. That’s $96 a month. Wow!

Now if I multiply that by 12 months, that’s $1,152 a year just on myself. And then if I factor in whenever I pick up something for my family of four, then it’s just mind-blowing!

In fact, one consumer report suggests that most individuals spend on average $3,000 a year eating out. You could create 3 emergency funds with that amount!

So now are you up for a challenge? Don’t eat out at all for 1 solid month! Then take the money you’re not spending to eat out and throw it into your emergency fund.

Then sit back and be amazed at just how quickly it will begin to add up. Warning! Stay focused on your goal. And don’t start spending the money in other areas because remember…Winter is Coming!

• Pick up some extra shifts at work. Yeah, I know this sucks! But if you’re eligible for overtime pay you could earn 1.5 times your normal hourly rate.

My husband does this frequently and he nearly doubles his paycheck by only working 10 extra hours per week.

On top of that, it’s better than having to borrow money or use credit cards because as Benjamin Franklin said:

• Try Freelancing. You can choose your own projects and work on your own schedule. Look at this quick list of great freelance possibilities:
  • • Virtual Odd jobs on TaskRabbit
  • • Online tutoring for sites like Chegg tutor
  • • Online Data Entry on Upwork
  • Virtual Assistant on Fancy Hands

• Start a Side Hustle 
  • Drive for Uber
  • Start a Blog. Check out my post on How To Start A Blog In 7 Easy To Follow Steps.
  • Provide coaching or consulting services based on your skill set
  • Bake up some goodies and sell them through Etsy

The goal is to build up your emergency fund as quickly as possible. And whenever you dip into it for emergencies then replace those funds as soon as possible.

You need to stay in front of your expenses instead of always lagging behind.

And lastly, if you really want a rock solid way to boost your savings and take control of your finances then you need to:

Learn The Money-Saving Power of “NO”

Sometimes you just have to say “No” to people and things.

Not in a mean-spirited or negative way. But more so in an, I’m taking control of my life, empowering sort of way.

And when you’re trying to build your cash flow, stick to a budget, and prepare for unexpected expenses, you can’t let others influence your spending.

For example:

• • Your child asks for an expensive laptop computer — NO!

• • Meeting friends out for drinks — NO!

• • Your relative needs to borrow money — NO!

• You want to trade in your car for a newer model — NO!

I’ll admit, that last one is something that I had to say to myself. For years I wanted to upgrade to a newer vehicle. But financially it wasn’t in the budget.

So instead of letting my materialistic wants get the best of me, I decided not to run down to the dealership, just to sign up for 60 months of pain and hardship. I kept thinking about the monthly torture of paying car notes, and then it was easy to say NO!

Of course, it’s not always easy, especially when it comes to your kids. But at times it is absolutely necessary. And it doesn’t have to mean “no” forever, just not right now! Achieve your money goal first.

But it is okay to reveal when you will be able or available to buy that computer, go out for drinks, or lend some money (but always think twice before lending cash).

In any case, saying NO, even to yourself is one way of showing maturity. Also, you’re staying in control and taking responsibility for your financial health.

And FYI, if you’re a person that struggles with saying no, then here are a few polite, non-offensive ways to do it.

• • Sorry, I can’t help this time!

• • Sounds like fun, but I’m not available!

• • Thanks for thinking of me, but I can’t.

• • Maybe next time.

• • Ooo, that’s not going to work for me!

• • Sorry, I wish I could, but I can’t.

• Unfortunately, I can’t make it.

Also, you can do combinations like, Sorry, I wish I could, but I can’t. Maybe next time!

And there you have it. So now you have no excuses for why you can’t say NO. The end. Period!

The Takeaway

It’s a simple fact of life.

There are some things we can’t control like medical emergencies. And some we should definitely be ready for, like taxes and energy bills.

But regardless of the circumstance, it’s always better to budget and prepare ahead of time.

Turning to credit cards or borrowing money are reactive responses. They not only add to your debt burden but also increase your stress level.

Fortunately, you can take proactive steps by anticipating upcoming expenses, building an emergency fund, and learning to say NO.

Also, you can utilize the income boosting tips provided to help get you on the fast track to saving money!

And won’t it be nice when that unexpected expense does finally rear its ugly head, and you’re able to deliver a knock punch without blowing up your budget? No fuss, no muss!

So I’ll leave you with this final take on Shakespeare’s iconic line:

NEXT ACTION:

1. Build up your Emergency Fund!
2.   Get this money-saving freebie today!
3. Leave a comment below about whether you have trouble saying ” NO”. Or if you have another idea of how to handle unexpected expenses.