Emergency Fund

I need to build my emergency fund back up before I start investing again. Various websites recommend from three to six months of living expenses. Right now I'm nowhere near that. So why not mix the two (investment and emergency fund) by building up an emergency fund in a profitable investment vehicle?
I'm guessing there are probably a lot of people who do this, but it doesn't suit me. I subscribe to the conventional line of thinking that says emergency funds should be placed in very low-risk vehicles like bank savings accounts. Even a slight, short-term dip at the wrong time could be disastrous.
Another concern is liquidity. In an emergency quick and easy access to cash is important. Even a one-week holding period would be too long. An ATM account, on the other hand, earns virtually no interest but is easily accessible.
It may seem like a lost opportunity to put three to six months worth of living expenses in an account that earns very little, but the security of having ready cash more than makes up for it.
You might decide to keep your emergency savings smaller or larger depending on your circumstances and preferences. The important thing is to get it set-up as quickly as you reasonably can.

Why invest?

People invest their money for a variety of reasons. Some people invest to get rich. Some just want a little extra income. Other people want to save for retirement, or save for a major purchase. Knowing the reason for investing will help determine what kind of investment to make. Personally,
I want to get rich. Meaning, I want to have enough time and income to be able to do and buy what I want, when I want. That's a very big goal, and a little vague. It's a good reason to invest, everyone could use more time and freedom. The problem with such a goal is that it seems overwhelming and unreachable. A lot of people have similar goals, but they never start working on it because they don't know where to start.

What I did was break down the big/vague reason into more manageable chunks. Here they are in no particular order:

1. I want to save enough for retirement without relying on an SSS pension.

2. I want to create passive income that will help pay for monthly expenses. Eventually this should pay for all monthly expenses.

3. I want to be able afford to regularly donate to my favorite charities.

4. I want to save enough for my children's education.

5. I want to travel.

6. I want enough passive income to be able to enjoy work without worrying about making enough money. Work should be about doing something you like and contributing to society, not about how much you make.

7. I want to create jobs.

I'd never written these goals down before today, but I have been thinking about them for a few years. I realized just now that I should have written this list a long time ago. Knowing what you want will help you achieve it. Your goals and your personality will determine what investments you should make. I'm glad I wrote this post today. I hope it helps someone else organize their thoughts too.