Money you can lose, money you cannot

Before anything else, there is one line to draw: money you might need soon, and money you will not touch for years. The first kind belongs in a boring place where it cannot fall. The second kind is what all the rest of this school is about.

A cushion is the first kind. It is the number of months you could pay your bills if the paycheck stopped. Three months is common; one month is a start; six is comfortable. There is no prize for more.