[ChuckMcM]

"I'm talking about 'I cannot afford food' or 'I cannot afford transportation to a job interview' type of emergency. That's a real emergency, in my opinion."

I think we're in strong agreement. I was thinking of your two examples as being subcomponents of the base emergency "We're living beyond our means." Once you are in an emergency situation, your safety systems are compromised and additional emergencies become much more likely.