“Now, full disclosure: I had two setbacks while I was saving my buffer. I had a car die and a computer die. If those things had not happened, I would have saved my buffer much sooner. In the end it took me about a year from when I started trying. I believe it was June 2008 when I finally got my buffer. A few months before that, I was thinking ahead a bit. I realized that with an extra paycheck and a little cutting back, I could squeeze through June on the money I’d saved. That meant my June paychecks could take care of July and I’d be there. ¶ It wasn’t until I finally arrived that I understood the magical part of having a buffer. The peace of mind can not be overstated. I set all my bills on auto pay. I knew I could because the money would be there. If a month was going to be tight I could see it coming before it arrived, giving me time to adjust and adapt.” - × × ×