Wealth is partly the ability to solve problems before they become emergencies.

One of the real advantages money buys is the ability to handle things early. A repair before it becomes a failure, a doctor before it becomes serious, a fix before it becomes a crisis. Without that margin, everything gets addressed at the emergency price, which is how being short of money makes everything cost more.

Where you have any margin, spend some of it on early action rather than saving it for the crisis. Prevention is the cheapest thing money can buy.