Encourage Them to Set Up an Emergency Fund
Once you have helped your child get back on their feet, your job still isn't done. To make sure you won't be shelling out your retirement savings for junior again, encourage him to start an emergency fund. Most experts advise stashing six months of bare bones living expenses in an ultra-safe interest-bearing savings account. That's a lot. Start with $500 to $1,000, and add $100 (more if you can) each month. If they say no, hit them with this stat: Four in five families will experience a financial setback like job loss, injury or sudden uninsured car or home repair with a price tag of around $10,000 in any given 10-year period, according to Money magazine. If they still say no, make having your child setting up an emergency fund now a prerequisite to agreeing to bail them out later, then hopefully you will never have to again.