Many Americans Don't Have Enough Money In Their Accounts In The Event Of An Emergency

Saving may be the thing to do when it comes to a goal, such as a vacation, a new tech item or even getting ready for the holidays that just passed, but it seems as though Americans don’t think about saving in the long term.

When it comes to unexpected expenses, be it an emergency room visit or a car issue, only 38 percent of Americans have enough money in their accounts to pay for it, according to a new Bankrate.com report released on Wednesday.

Instead, they may get the money elsewhere. Twenty-six percent said they would reduce expenses elsewhere, 16 percent said they would borrow it from family or friends and 12 percent said they would use their credit cards. Those who maintain a household budget, which is 82 percent of Americans, say they track their expenses by writing it down or remembering it. An electronic form of keep track of expenses is used by only about 26 percent of Americans.

Saving doesn’t have to be difficult, though. There are a number of tricks to drawing from your bank account slowly so that, in the event of an emergency, there’s more than enough to pay without going broke. Some tricks include keeping track and scheduling time to review your credit card and bank statements, avoiding impulse buys, keeping loose change and maintaining short-term goals, like putting away a few dollars a week.

The report also states that the likelihood someone will save for unexpected expenses grows with age, income and education level, and that only 33 percent of millennials have enough savings to cover unexpected costs.

A Young Adult Money article states that young adults may not have enough in their emergency funds because they don’t think anything can go wrong. But whether it’s a family issue, a medical issue or simply needing a little extra cash for that job that expects you to dress up or that gift for a baby shower you were invited to, it pays to save.