<prompt> Human: My wife and I are in our earlymid twenties. We have saved a little more than a third of our income over the past two years so we had several thousand dollars in an emergency fund plus extra savings. The amount isnt really relevant - the point is that we had no plans to use it. At the end of 2016 we were both in great health, and being young we decided to go with my employers HDH plan with an HSA. Last weekend we blew through the deductible on my wife and we will likely hit the out of pocket maximum before the month is over. This health issue came out of nowhere and were very fortunate to have good insurance. But because we have extra savings, we dont have to make medical decisions based on cost. We can pay the full annual out of pocket maximum and we wont really miss it. If a doctor thinks a test is necessary we can simply authorize it without worrying about how we will pay for it. It has been stressful but I cant imagine how much more stressful it would be if we had to go into medical debt to pay for it all. We could have eaten out more last year. My wife could drive a nicer car. We could live in a bigger apartment or house. But I wouldnt trade the freedom of having the extra savings for any of that. This came out of nowhere and was frankly highly unlikely. It could happen to anyone. And we were easily able to pay for it. An emergency fund is psychologically, emotionally, physically, and financially is the most important improvement to your quality of life that you can buy. in my opinion anyway. Edit: Thanks to all for your well wishes and support. To those who took this as a criticism of spending, please know that this was not my intention. My wife and I are not ultra frugal - we simply prioritize our spending where we think it will have the greatest impact on our lives. In my view, an emergency fund is just another thing you buy. I feel that, of all the things anyone could buy, it is the one that will have the greatest impact on your quality of life.  <response>: In response to your edit: Theres nothing wrong with spending - once youre free of high-interest debt, have a suitable reserve, and saving at appropriate rates for retirement, you should use your remaining discretionary funds for enjoyment. Studies show youll appreciate the money more if you spend it on events travel, concerts, etc. than on things a new sofa, new boat, but honestly, whatever floats your boat. Dont be ashamed of spending once youre in good financial shape; the economy needs it and youve earned it. To the OP: We found ourselves in similar positions a few times in our 20s. Just when we thought we could build up a little emergency fund, something would come along and wipe it out. It can be frustrating, but like you, I saw it more as a relief that Id saved money than frustration at it disappearing. Eventually we got luckier and the money wasnt immediately wiped out, and now were in a good place. 