Business Insider contributor Jackie Lam says she took an unconventional approach to building her emergency fund.
Wasting no time, the minute she got her first, tiny, rented apartment, she began saving towards her goal of $5,000.
And she got there fast, by 'glamping' in her apartment.
For the first few months of residency, she ate and slept on the floor.
Later, her mattress and box spring came from IKEA.
It took her three years to finally buy a used loveseat off Craigslist.