Do you have an F.U. fund?

Sure, we all know the importance of having a healthy emergency fund. The numbers I've heard lately say that you should have a small E fund of $1000 if you're in aggressive debt paydown mode. When the consumer debt is gone, you should inch up to 3, then 6 months of living expenses.

But what about having enough cash that would allow you to say "F*** you" to your employer and walk out? How much liquid cash would you need to feel that you could voluntarily walk away from your main income stream without another one lined up? I've been thinking about this lately, as *cough cough* a very close friend's employer finds new ways to demoralize, devalue and dehumanize the workers in her department. My friend is getting near the breaking point, and she's thinking about quitting.

In my case, I'd be able to stretch my six-month emergency fund a lot longer than six months if my spouse or I walked away from a job. That's because our crazy schedules have one major advantage: we're well diversified, with 3 part time jobs between us. The most devastating job loss would be my main part time job, because that's the job that provides health coverage for me and for our kid. When the whole family was on my spouse's health insurance for a few months after the baby was born, we found out the hard way that it was crazy expensive. I wouldn't want to be forced to go back onto his plan.

I really don't know the answer to this question, though. It would seem so irresponsible to quit without something else lined up, especially since jobs in my field don't exactly grow on trees. Quitting just because I was unhappy doesn't really seem like an emergency, so it seems like a frivolous reason to deplete my emergency fund. Of course, circumstances could force my hand. Off the top of my head, here's a list of things that would make me feel justified in quitting with no other job lined up and no possibility of collecting unemployment.

If I was being asked by my boss or someone else in power to do something illegal or to lie. (It's not that bad, my friend is only being asked to answer direct questions evasively, and the situation I'm, er, she's being asked to cover up is not illegal. Just akward.)

If I felt threatened by someone at work and wasn't getting protected by HR, I'd get the hell outta there, calling my lawyer on my cell phone as I exited the building. (Thankfully that's never happened, altho I did have to work in a building with inadequate security for two plus years.)

If the stress was so bad I felt my health and sanity was seriously at risk.
(It's debatable how close I am to this point. And am I really closer to that point now than I have been most of the time I've worked here? When is enough enough?)

If work-related costs like commuting, clothes and childcare became so expensive that it wasn't worth it to keep the job. (We could really get away with having a full time stay-at-home parent if we were willing to stop saving money completely. Can't do that. So for now, it's worth it to work just for the benefits.)

If the repetetive stress injuries I've been flirting with for years got so bad I couldn't work. (What's that you say? Disability insurance? But will they cover pre-existing conditions? Doubt it. And any employer I tried to stick with the bill could pretty easily find out I've been treated for this off and on for years before they hired me on.)

If my kid needed me to quit. (If little L started having major behavioral problems or other issues I'd probably say, see? see? My job stress is even f***ing with my kid's life. I'm done.)

If I got a book deal. (Yeah, this is really, really unlikely to happen, considering all the writing I'm not doing and all the book proposals I'm not sending out. But if somebody every stopped me on the street and said, hey, aren't you that promising young(ish) writer? Can I give you a three figure advance on a book or books? Sure, I'd quit my day job. Wouldn't you?)