Whether it's an HVAC unit breaking down, your dryer calling it quits, a leaking roof, or, in my case, a bug infestation, expensive home disasters are something all homeowners can relate to. Even if you don't own a home, unexpected life and medical expenses happen to us all.

I always try to derive a lesson from every experience I have – good or bad. The lesson here was that I learned I needed to put more money in my savings account for unforeseen disasters.

That same week, I emailed my savings coach and created a new budget that allowed me to shift money from unnecessary expenditures and start contributing more money to my savings. Things have been a bit tighter – fewer dinners out and no fall shopping trips – but having financial security is more important than a cute sweater.

If you don't have an emergency fund, it's not too late to start one, and you're not alone in the struggle. Mark Lynch, senior program manager at the National Credit Union Foundation, says that 66% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. If you fall into this category, he recommends working with a financial counselor to see how you can improve your budget and start saving.

Lynch says it's important not to feel embarrassed or as though you can't talk to your credit union. He emphasized that bad things happen to good people all the time.

"If you are a member, go and talk to your credit union. If you aren't a member, join and ask for advice. Even if you don't go to a credit union, there are other organizations in the community that give unbiased financial counseling and advice. Find one and get advice," Lynch said.

If you don't have an emergency fund and an unexpected expense occurs, you normally need to borrow money or use a credit card. For many people this leads to huge credit card bills at high interest rates or the use of payday loans at even higher interest rates, thus continuing the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck.

Lynch says more and more credit unions are training staff to become certified credit union financial counselors. These trained staff can work with a member to identify a range of ways in which they can save. The first thing counselors do is identify everything the member is currently spending and help them work out a way to reduce or eliminate that expense. Then they make sure that the saved funds are put into a special savings account rather than a transaction account where they can be easily accessed.

But when things are already tight, saving money can be difficult. Here are some tips for saving and avoiding financial disasters:

• Leave bank cards at home.

• Make gifts for people instead of buying them.

• Accept hand-me-downs.

• Cut back on eating out.

• Cut back on drinking. A cocktail, on average, is $10 – almost the same as a meal.

• Use coupons.

• Never shop for entertainment.

• If you see something you would like to buy, wait a day!

• Put money in a medical expense account, such as a flexible spending account, for unexpected medical expenses.

• If you own your home and you have older appliances, purchase a home warranty to cover unexpected large appliance failures.

Lynch says a good counselor will quickly work out how much a member could save if they refinanced all their loans through the credit union. For some members, this can be a significant amount that they can immediately put into an emergency savings account. For those who aren't yet credit union members, the savings can be even greater.

With such a large percentage of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, financial planning is an area that credit unions should continue to expand upon, and use as an opportunity for education and growth within the credit union. When a financial counselor successfully helps a member through a difficult financial time, members develop a sense of trust and may be more likely to use the credit union's products in the future.

What is your credit union doing to help members plan their financial futures? Drop me an email and share your stories!

Tahira Hayes is a Correspondent-at-Large at Credit Union Times. She can be reached at [email protected].