Esther Trattner By Esther Trattner

Surveys routinely show that most Americans don't have emergency savings to cover a big expense that comes out of nowhere, like a $1,000 hospital bill or car repair.

If you're not prepared for a rainy day, what can you do when it starts pouring?

Here are 10 dependable ways to conquer that expense --- and avoid similar debt disasters in the future.

This is a members-only article.

Become a member now for $9.99/month to read this article and get unlimited, ad-free access to all of the best articles on MoneyWise.

Featured Offers

Take Surveys. Get Paid.

Get paid to take surveys. Earn free gift cards from your favorite retailers, or get cash back. Get a $5 bonus when you earn 2,500 SB points within your first 60 days.

Start Now

Automatic Round-Ups

Acorns forces you to save money by automatically investing your spare change (rounding up) from everyday purchases.

Start Now

Your Free Credit Score

Get your free credit score, free credit report card and free credit monitoring.

Start Now

File With Confidence This Year

With over 60 years of tax preparation experience on your side, you can be sure you're getting your maximum refund.

Start Now