# How many people have at least three paychecks saved in case something goes wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 12, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-at-least-three-paychecks-saved-in-case-something-goes-wrong/673742 "2013-11-12T19:02:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-at-least-three-paychecks-saved-in-case-something-goes-wrong/673742/81 "2013-11-19T19:55:40Z")
> [@Mr\_Quatro](#): > > Now I have Bank of America’s keep the change program where they round off each transaction to the nearest dollar and put the money in your savings account. Signed up for that as well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-at-least-three-paychecks-saved-in-case-something-goes-wrong/673742/82 "2013-11-20T21:29:26Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Using a CC for necessaries of life does nothing more than compound the problem. If you couldn’t afford it this month, how are you going to afford it next month plus pay the CC payment? Because you’ll have another job then? We’re not talking about abusing credit cards for the necessaries of life. We’re talking about using a credit card for short term emergencies or to get you through a patch of unemployment for a few pay periods. My point was valid: There is more than one way to do this. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-at-least-three-paychecks-saved-in-case-something-goes-wrong/673742/83 "2013-11-21T14:58:01Z")
We don’t have the 3 paychecks in cash, but do have investments we could sell if need be. We’re not old enough to tape a 401(k) or IRA yet (well, I guess we could withdraw from the Roth). Some months it does seem paycheck-to-paycheck living because we do put so much aside for retirement. Between taxes, flex spending, and 401(k), both of us take home just over half our gross salary. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-at-least-three-paychecks-saved-in-case-something-goes-wrong/673742/84 "2013-11-21T15:05:56Z")
Are we voting on which question will be in the actual poll? 😕 My wife and I have much more than three paychecks saved; we have enough to live off for four months without cutting our mortgage payments, if we stretched a little. That’s entirely her doing (and her extra income that made up most of the account) though. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-at-least-three-paychecks-saved-in-case-something-goes-wrong/673742/85 "2013-11-22T15:56:28Z")
Personal savings equivalent to 326 paychecks or 6.6X my annual salary. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-at-least-three-paychecks-saved-in-case-something-goes-wrong/673742/86 "2013-11-22T20:40:23Z")
The night before I get paid i’m usually down to pennies in my account. I had no idea the average doper was so affluent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-at-least-three-paychecks-saved-in-case-something-goes-wrong/673742.md?page=4)