Emergency fund: Why it's crucial to have one

" What's yours is mine, and what's mine... is also mine ," said every controlling partner ever. A family friend reluctantly agreed to an arranged marriage after years of resistance. Surprisingly, her fiancé checked every box - smart, career-oriented, respectful, and chivalrous (impressive, considering it's dead). They got married and moved in together, living the life of every Instagram couple you've hated. But time reveals all truths. Laundry days turned into "I forgot", cooking became her default job, and the dishes, a battle of who could ignore them longer. His salary was "for the future", and hers covered "day-to-day expenses." They realised their "perfect" match was just two incompatible people forcing a fit. A year in, conversations turned into arguments, date nights disappeared, and their 'forever' became a countdown to who would leave first. Eventually, he did. Thankfully for her, she had a stable job and her family to fall back on. Many women don't. Economic abuse - controlling money, taking salaries, influencing financial decisions, taking loans and debts in the wife's name, etc. - is so normalised that people ignore how crippling it is for the women who have to go through it. In such cases, an emergency fund isn't just money; it is freedom and security. It makes overcoming adversities, whether domestic, romantic, occupational, medical, etc., possible. So let's discuss what an emergency is and how to set up a fund for it. Suggested read: Emergency behaviour Let's define emergency An emergency is a financial

This article was originally published on March 07, 2025.