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How to Build an Emergency Fund for Your TIME
by Nancy Hernandez

Description: Tips for organizing and prioritizing your time.

How many of us have an emergency fund for our money? We have one, and it comes in handy. But how many of us have transferred the idea of an emergency fund to time? For me, it is still a work in progress. My goal is a home (and schedule) that practically runs itself when I need it to. Impossible, you say? Well, I am halfway there, and I already see the benefits.

Start a simple routine that will be easy to stick to. My most helpful routine is gathering all of the laundry from upstairs and carrying it down with me on my first trip downstairs in the morning. I then put in a load and go about my other business. If I don’t do it then, it could be ten o’clock before I realize that the laundry is not started.

Stock up. Toilet paper, diapers, shampoo, canned foods, cereals, anything that is storable is a candidate. This practice is a life saver when you don’t have a lot of money, but it also helps when you don’t have a lot of time. You do not want to have to run the convenience store to buy diapers on your way to the emergency room to visit a relative.

Get the kids in on the game. Attach chores to mealtimes. No matter what happens, we still have to eat. After each meal, my middle boy has to clean the family room. I just assigned the chore a few months ago when we moved into our new house, and he already does his chore most of the time without a reminder! My oldest takes out the trash after dinner every night. Those are things that keep the household running smoothly without too much effort from me.

And speaking of attaching chores, what are the things that you do without fail every day? If you brush your teeth in the morning, you can attach straightening the bathroom to that task. Once a chore is a habit, you can do it without thinking, even during tough times.

Keep a checklist of your weekly chores, so there is no decision-making involved. You just pick the next chore on the list and do it.

Keep your belongings to a minimum. This step is very, very important. With too many belongings to care for, we can never concentrate on the things (and people) that are important in our lives. You can reduce your housework by 50% by simply getting rid of ALL the things that you do not love and are not useful. Visit http://www.simplyperfect.net/declutterhome for a system of decluttering that works.

Organize your home so that you can find anything in it in one minute or less. This is done very easily by decluttering and then assigning a home to every object that you own.

Keep up your grooming at all times. And I’m not talking about just a shower. A simple pedicure and manicure, done at home or at a salon. A haircut. Are you ready for this one? Shave your legs every day. Why? Because not all events requiring an emergency fund involve hospitals. Your husband may surprise you with a lover’s getaway. You may see your college sweetheart. If you’re single, you may meet the man of your dreams. You don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. Imagine the possibilities and plan for them. And if there is no emergency? You’ll just look gorgeous.

Begin instilling good habits. Look at your biggest weaknesses, and see if there may be a positive habit that could prevent the weakness from ruining your schedule. Good habits, like good routines, become second nature. When we can accomplish half of our responsibilities through habit, the other half will not seem so bad. Would you rather tackle a sink full of dishes or have the habit of washing as you go? Would you rather do laundry all day on Saturday or have the habit of doing a load or two every morning? When an emergency, or an opportunity, arises, it will be so much easier to handle with good habits already in place.

No matter how you choose to set up your emergency fund, do it. You can take all of these ideas or none of them, but setting up this fund is essential to navigating the times when life throws you off balance. Those times will come, I can guarantee that. So how are you going to face them, in chaos or with assurance that your mind is on the things that matter?

Nancy is the writer and editor of "A Simply Perfect Life," a free newsletter that is available from her site, http://www.SimplyPerfect.net.