Safety Nets

Having finished the entire Dave Ramsey CD course, I guess I am now officially a graduate of both his Financial Peace University and David Neagle’s Miracle of Money course.
Ramsey’s step one and three are about creating your Emergency Fund.
And I will say this …
For all my crackpot friends, there’s something so obviously “out of alignment” about the phrase “Emergency Fund” –– ie, I’m focusing on and therefore attracting an emergency –– so I really do think that should just be re-labeled the “Safety Net.”  [“Cushion” is actually even softer and sweeter, but I still have a little sense of danger in my worldview that needs working through.]
Interestingly, Ramsey speaks about things in terms of “Baby Steps” –– he is awfully folksy in an “Aw shucks” kind of way that’s incredibly grating to me but has obviously resulted in his vast popularity.
[As an aside, I think I’ve mentioned previously that Susan continually encourages me to create a cottage industry based on my willingness to educate myself with these courses;  I would summarize 15 CDs in less than 15 minutes.  Each course really has just about that much vital information and then near infinite amounts of re-statement and justification.  Basically, if you’re remotely coachable as a person, I can just tell you everything that’s in the CDs in record time and if you don’t need to hear the message 45 times, we can both cut to the chase.]
And yet I digress …
Given that Dave Ramsey’s entire system is based on Baby Steps, I was so pleased when I googled “Safety Net” that all these super-cute images of toddlers came up.
[Try it for “Emergency Fund” and you just get lots of cute piggy banks, which isn’t really going to help anyone.]
Step 1 is to start your Emergency Fund/Safety Net with $1000.
Step 3 is to complete the Fund with 3 to 6 months of expenses saved.
[Step 2 is the Debt Snowball, if you’re wondering.]
Anyway, it was fascinating to me that as I mailed off my Safety Net check, within two hours I got an email from a cruise line wanting a batch of YOGA IN BED DVDs totaling exactly the same amount.
Obviously, the Universe heartily supports me following the Daves.
It’s encouraging my Baby Steps (according to Ramsey) and offering me Money Miracles (according Neagle.)
Either way, it’s working …