Money Crashers: 6 Types of Unexpected Expenses and How to Plan for Them

Over the 15 years we've been together, Brian and I have weathered a lot of emergencies. We've never suffered a house fire or had our roof collapse in the middle of a storm (knock wood), but we've been through two car accidents, a cat who started having seizures on a Saturday night when the vet's office was closed, at least three trips to the emergency room, four family funerals, and several major home repairs.

In all these cases, our goals have been, first, to deal with the problem itself, and second, to avoid letting it drive us out of our minds in the process. At no point, at least during the immediate crisis, did we give any thought at all to how we would pay for it. It just wasn't an issue.

This was due partly, I'll admit, to luck. But mostly, it was because, while we hadn't expected these disasters to occur, we were prepared ahead of time. We had good insurance, roadside assistance, and plenty of money in an emergency fund to cover any costs that the insurance wouldn't.

This kind of planning is the topic of my latest Money Crashers article: 6 Types of Unexpected Expenses and How to Plan for Them. In it, I discuss the various types of unexpected expenses that can derail your budget—medical emergencies for both humans and pets, major home and auto repairs, unplanned travel, and even unexpected gift expenses—and how to avoid them if you can and pay for them when you can't.

If you have any doubts about how well your wallet could handle a crisis, it's worth a look. (If you're just unsure about how you'd be able to handle it without going off your rocker, sorry—I haven't entirely figured that one out yet.)