Recovery after unexpected expense
A family of four faced an urgent home repair that consumed most of their savings. Discover how they reorganized their monthly budget and recovered stability in six months.
Initial situation
The González family, consisting of two adults and two school-age children, encountered a severe roof leak that required an immediate investment of $180,000 pesos. This amount represented 85% of their emergency fund accumulated over two years.
Implemented strategy
- Emergency fund review: They used $150,000 from the fund and negotiated a 3-month payment plan for the remaining $30,000 with the contractor.
- Fixed payment prioritization: They kept essential services, rent, and education up to date, postponing variable expenses like entertainment and outings.
- Deadline negotiation: They contacted non-essential service providers to adjust payment dates and avoid surcharges.
- Temporary elimination of non-essential expenses: For two months they suspended streaming subscriptions, reduced restaurant outings, and limited impulse purchases.
Results obtained
In six months, the family managed to rebuild their emergency fund to $120,000 pesos through monthly savings of $20,000. They implemented an automatic savings system that transfers 15% of their monthly income to a separate account each time they receive their salary.