Perhaps it's not abundantly clear, but I'm trying to draw a distinction there. I get that there are things like cancer that cannot be sufficiently financially prepared for. However, for things like needing a new roof, car tires need replacing, etc., that is precisely what contingency money is for. If you cannot save sufficiently for said expenses, it's time to consider a downgrade on that particular item until you can, or curtail other non-essential expenses for a while.