The sad thing is that the vast majority of households probably don't follow the most basic financial advice given.  Always have at least 3 months salary saved for emergencies.  The other sad thing is that things that some people think are "necessities" really aren't.  I wonder how many people affected by the partial government shutdown supposedly turning to food banks still have their cable television and family smart phone plans going?

Though I do work for the government as a contractor, this shutdown didn't affect me because the part of the government that I work for is fully funded.  However, there have been past shutdowns that did affect me where we didn't go to work for around a week or more.  I personally have 6 months worth of salary set aside in a money market account just for this kind of emergency.  I don't spend beyond my means and stick to a budget that includes savings first.

Regarding the misleading headline from CNN, nobody has said to "suck it up".  It was pointed out that there are avenues to get through this period that people can take.

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