What do you do when you are in the middle of a big company project and your laptop breaks down? If it is a company computer, you’re in luck—they should issue a new one. But what if it is Saturday, and you promised to have the work done by Monday, but no one is in the office?

Many independent contractors and employees use their own laptops for projects, and this is truly a crisis, especially if payday is a week away. No project means no paycheck.

Hopefully, you have everything backed up somewhere. If you haven’t learned that by now, you’re in trouble. Stop and back up your data. Now, what would you do about the laptop if it was you? Can you do your work at a local library? If the information is too sensitive, that might be a bad option. Have you ever noticed TV shows where the FBI agents are walking around on busy streets talking about cases? It seems like that is not very smart, when you do not know who might be tailing you or listening in. At the library you don’t know who might be looking over your shoulder. Also, many libraries have hours that are inconvenient to your work schedule—especially if you are a night owl.

It is a good idea to have an emergency fund in your savings account, but this is not a reality for many people. If you have no room on your credit card, and the choice is between food and getting a new laptop, a payday loan may just solve your problem. Perhaps later you can talk your employer into paying for it. Maybe you should talk your employer about the scenario in advance, so you have a plan in case this happens. Computers fail fairly often, but deadlines have to be met.