I recently read a quote from Roger Whitney who said we all need slack in our systems.
Slack means not tense or taut. Think of a rope. When it’s stretched tight, it can snap. Slack in the rope allows it to absorb shocks. From our calendars to our checkbooks, we all need slack or, a more common word we use around here is margin.
Financial professionals advise that we should maintain three to six months of emergency funds in a liquid investment for those unexpected expenses that might arise. Moreover, once we are in retirement, it is wise to maintain a larger cash reserve that may reach out from 1-3 years to ensure financial liquidity if the markets plummet.
Building slack into our systems can alleviate undue stress, prevent our financial rope from “snapping,” and enhance our stewardship of God’s resources.