Doomsday planning for less crazy folk
> <i>Since the amount</i> needed <i>is directly proportional to how much you currently make, it makes relatively little difference if your household brings in $70k or $140k a year.</i><p>I have to take issue with this. If your salary doubles, your needs do <i>not</i> double along with it. $100K is right around the 80th percentile of US household income. That means 80% of households (~250 million people) in the US are living on less than that. Maybe you can too, despite your paycheck being higher. And if your household's take-home pay suddenly increases from $70k to $140k, see if you can fight the urge to follow that increase with your spending habits. Keep the old car, pay off your debts, and save for a rainy day (layoff, medical emergency, etc).<p>It absolutely baffles me that prevailing financial habits in the US seem to include spending as much money as possible.