<prompt> Human: I live in NYC. Its a clerical job and were all on salary. Not sure what to do...she refuses to switch is to direct deposit though I dont know why. It usually means getting paid on Monday or Tuesday instead of Friday...but for some of the lower paid folks who live paycheck to paycheck that means bill payments bounce.  <response>: This is where the responsible use of credit can really save ones ass. A credit card, IMO, is basically a 60 day 0 interest loan. Obviously, a cash emergency fund is better. 