09/27/2026
When you're in a settlement program, what happens when the car needs $600 in repairs on month five?
A program payment is usually lower than the minimums you were juggling before, so there's often a little room where there wasn't any. The Momentum plan is also built around what you can actually afford, not what looks good on paper.
Use some of that room to build a small cushion. It doesn't take much - $200 to $400 is enough to absorb most of what comes up. Set a little aside in the months that feel manageable and hold off on non-essentials.
The point isn't savings for its own sake. It's to plan and avoid that one, unexpected expense that could end a program you're only partially through.
Educational only — not financial, legal, or tax advice.