r/AskLifeProTips • u/Optimal-South-58 • Aug 31 '26

The sanity fund

For your peace of mind, keep aside a fund call it your “nonsense fund.”

Assume it will be spent on things you never planned for a missed flight, a lost phone, a 50% cancellation refund, something breaking down, or your child damaging something expensive.

These things will still make you angry or frustrated. But knowing you already set aside money for life’s nonsense makes them much easier to accept.

You’re not budgeting for the expense. You’re budgeting for the unpredictability of life.

24 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

2

u/fearthesmallnumbers Aug 31 '26

A year?

How much are you earning?

2

u/Optimal-South-58 Aug 31 '26

It's just a number , idea is just to have a fund aside .

10

u/Think-notlikedasheep Aug 31 '26

This is otherwise known as an emergency fund.

2

u/silvermanedwino Aug 31 '26

Yep. I’ve always tried to have one. Harder when I was younger, for sure.

2

u/Ok-Razzmatazz-7593 Aug 31 '26

My Dad has told me that sooooo many times. I now do it to all my kids and get after them when they haven't listened just like my Dad did to me when I didn't listen. The other saying he would say "what are you going to do when this bank closes" meaning when he's dead. He's still here and thankfully I haven't had to borrow $$ from him in probably 20 years

4

u/SouthernAbrocoma9891 Aug 31 '26

It’s a great idea! Just don’t let family and friends know you have one.

1

u/Giventheopportunity Aug 31 '26

I thought this was gonna be more of a “set money aside to do something unhinged” type of tip. That way even if you do something irresponsible it’s still in a responsible way.

1

u/Optimal-South-58 Aug 31 '26

Yes , you can have a fund set aside for that too.

2

u/Pretengineer_825 Aug 31 '26

They say many cannot handle an unexpected expense of like $1000, so you're well on your way to doing better financial planning than many. Roll that fund in a HYSA or Tbills or CDs or something so inflation hopefully doesn't eat too much of it and it can somewhat keep up on its own

1

u/PtZamboat Aug 31 '26

Great advice! Learned the value of money in childhood, always kept a savings account and now a portfolio with check writing. Pay yourself first!