I hear you, and honestly, keeping it 100? Sitting right around $1,400.
In New York, that is a joke of a number. It wouldn’t even cover my half of the rent for a single month, let alone food, MTA fare, or anything else. If something major happens, I’m essentially one bad week away from charging everything to a credit card and praying for the best.
Hearing experts say we need “3 to 6 months of expenses” out here feels like a slap in the face. Rent is sky-high, groceries at the local bodega feel like luxury purchases, and just stepping outside your apartment costs $50. Saving up $10,000 to $15,000 for a “textbook” emergency fund feels completely out of reach when you’re just trying to survive the current month.
Your $1,100 covering two months of bare minimums is incredibly solid. Don’t let anyone downplay that. Out here, having any comma in your savings account that isn’t immediately spoken for by a landlord is a win.
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