Before investing, before anything fancy — a buffer of boring cash is what keeps one bad week from turning into debt you spend years escaping.
Your car breaks down and the bill is $600. If you have $600 set aside, it’s annoying. If you don’t, it goes on a credit card at 24% interest and becomes a $750 problem that follows you for months. That gap is exactly what an emergency fund closes.
— Educational, not financial advice.