MacNugget: "For the love of Pete -- dedicate $1,000 of the settlement to serve as an emergency fund and checking account buffer. Take this, the new year, as a fresh opportunity to introduce some safety and sanity to the tightrope you call your financial life. "

If Mom and Dad saw me having $1000 in checking they INSIST I take them to dinner everynight, buy this that at Home Depot, Walmart, JoAnns, Michael's stores, Fry's food, Safeway. The money would be gone real fast. The answer to that is NO WAY AM I GOING TO DO THAT AGAIN.