Try not to PAAAAANNNNICCCC!!!!

Maybe it's because of my job, my office helps parents who are working or going to school with daycare costs. I'm seeing a lot more clients and several who are losing their jobs. For some reason I suddenly started panicking and decided that now was the time to put away some cash. I have a savings account, but I really just had this urgent need to start stuffing a coffee tin just like a lot of our grandmas did back in the day. Daddy and I have been paying off all our small debts with our tax return leaving us with less payments and we're using that money to pay off the bigger things. So far we've cut over $400 per month in payments. One of the places I paid off was practically begging me not to pay off my account and just use the money to earn interest in my savings account. I explained to that person that I was a banker for 12 years and I already know that right now I would actually save more money NOT paying interest than I would earn by putting the money in a savings account. I paid off another loan two days later. The second place called me not even 24 hours later to tell me that I would qualify for 4 times the amount I borrowed the first time if I came back in to re-open my account. I declined nicely. That afternoon, the first place called me to double my original loan (which was already 4 times my loan at the second place, so you can see this was a significant amount). Again I declined and I let them know that it was very nice of them to offer and I was glad to know that should I need to, I could again return to borrow from their company.
The other night I had a horrible dream: the top of the alter at the wedding was tipping over so they stopped everything till the fixed it, I'd forgotten to find the rings as had to go to Wal-Mart to buy replacements, the customer service was horrible, a gallon of milk was $12!!!! That last thought actually woke me up in terror! At least my priorities are straight, food first wedding last. I can only say that while I hope this economic crisis doesn't get worse, I'm a realist and I'm not taking chances. Whatever I can spare is going in that coffee tin.