[darklajid]

Disclaimer: Been in the UK rarely, never to the US. I don't claim to know a lot about these places.

My impression is that it's just far less dangerous (and so a lot more compelling?) to go without an emergency budget here in Germany, so I wonder if this comparison misses to include the risks involved?

Sure, if you have family and a good deal of property/a mortgage to pay, you've got a lot of incentives to stay in business. But if you're renting? Already living in the lower middle class? No kids?

Worst case scenario: You lose your job (2-4 weeks notice) and are bankrupt at the end of the month. You can apply for help from the state (unless you find something else). You'll get a (60%? No idea, but something like that) percentage of your last salary for a while, afterwards you end up on a different and quite a lot lower benefit level, but you'll most certainly keep a TV, keep a (reasonable) flat, get good healthcare. If you do have kids you get (a bit) more money, education is mostly free for them.

I don't want to claim that it's all roses, but this is the worst that you actually need to worry about in my very humble opinion. What would happen in the UK or US if you run out of cash completely?

[Mz]

What would happen in the UK or US if you run out of cash completely?

Last I heard, homelessness is on the rise in the US and has been for some time.