# Could you get $20,000 in emergency funds in 30 days? $200,000? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 25, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097 "2011-05-25T00:44:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/81 "2011-05-25T22:58:13Z")
Maybe, maybe not. I’m not telling people on the internet, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/82 "2011-05-25T23:04:09Z")
I have a line of credit for up to 20K. Until a week ago, I had more than that in savings, but my son needed a fast 10K to close the mortgage on the house he is buying. The bank issued a mortgage pre-approval letter for a 95% mortgage and then reneged so had to come up with another 5% (33K) quickly. Hi wife borrowed about half of from her 401K and the rest came from me and his mother-in-law. For 200K, I would have to cash in stocks, of which I have maybe 300K. But that is my money to cover inflation since my pension is not going to grow at all. So I would be reluctant to do that. Multiply by another factor of 10 and there is no legitimate way I could come up with 2Mil. Oh, I suppose I could hit up my other son who came away from Microsoft with about 5Mil. But I would have to be desperate to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/83 "2011-05-25T23:20:08Z")
I’ve been very fortunate, so yes and yes. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/84 "2011-05-25T23:33:31Z")
20K yes, 200k _probably_, but only in the most dire of life or death situations and not with absolute certainty. Since 200k isn’t a slam dunk, I voted for option #2. Needless to say, $2,000,000 is right out. Even if I tapped every relative and friend I could reasonably ask I don’t think I could get close. ETA: Actually given the 30 day time limit, I’d probably have to rule out 200k entirely. It would really require liquidation of property to get there and I don’t think I could do that in 30 days with any reliability. Not in this market. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/85 "2011-05-26T01:20:31Z")
$20K I could do from savings and/or lines of credit without horrible strain. $200K, no way Jose. Fortunately, however, I can’t envision a scenario in which I’d need $200K all at once. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/86 "2011-05-26T04:04:13Z")
I have always had a big cash cushion since I could afford it. It took a couple of years out of college to have $10k, and 2 years out of grad school to have $20k, and a few years later to hit $100k, and then I quit counting and felt like I had a good cushion. $200k tomorrow wouldn’t be a problem. After we finish building the house, $200k would be doable but would take a little time. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/87 "2011-05-26T05:30:56Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Could anyone here go up a decimal place and get $2,000,000? Possibly. It depends on how much money certain relatives actually have; not something I’ve inquired closely into. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/88 "2011-05-26T06:18:40Z")
My work is project-based: I get high income when I have a project, zip when not (I’m self employed, so no work does not mean unemployment benefits). Banks in Spain have apparently decided en masse that they are not in the business of making people money: short term investments give suitcases, or TV sets (my living room isn’t big enough for a 42", seriously), or kitchen gizmos. So any savings I want to be able to access are sitting in a bank account. I currently have 20K in liquid assets; getting 200K, on the other hand, would be pretty much impossible, as that’s pretty close to what my flat is worth and the bank still owes half of it. Maybe if I offed Grandma and Mom, but that’s kind of illegal and the paperwork takes a while anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/89 "2011-05-26T09:18:57Z")
Heck, no. I make $8000 a year, and my parents barely make it over $30,000 together. No one I know has that type of money on hand. I had no idea so many of you guys were rolling in the dough. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/90 "2011-05-26T12:12:38Z")
$200k is about how much we’re going to be ponying up for college for our two daughters in the next 5 years. Yippee!! ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/91 "2011-05-26T12:39:26Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Could anyone here go up a decimal place and get $2,000,000? No, and my life insurance isn’t worth that much, so I feel safe going rock climbing with anyone. Aside, I went out with a Japanese lady whose father had been kidnapped in Korea. They paid about $300,000 for the ransom. Not that anyone is taking notes in this thread. . . ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/92 "2011-05-26T12:39:43Z")
I think I could hit up a few people to reach the 20k. Some would even let me pay it back in my own time without breaking my shins or expecting (much) compound interest. 200k seems strictly out of my league unless I become very adept at cat burglary very quickly while making connections in the art fence world. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/93 "2011-05-26T12:56:58Z")
$20K would be relatively easy. $200K _might_ be possible, but would be a stretch. ---
**Author:** ![Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amber_in_Treasury)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/94 "2011-05-26T15:19:07Z")
No. Neither. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/95 "2011-05-26T16:57:45Z")
For $20k I could write a check. For $200k I’d have to sell some stock, but could do it. For $2M, if I liquidated all of my investments I could probably do it; if not I’d come close. My dad would make up the difference. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097/96 "2011-05-26T17:04:09Z")
Maybe $10,000. Anymore would require a 2nd mortgage on the house. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-get-20-000-in-emergency-funds-in-30-days-200-000/583097.md?page=4)