Decide Whether to Pay Off Debt or Build an Emergency Fund First

You have debt costing you interest and no savings buffer. Every pound either goes on the debt or sits in an account earning less than the debt costs. The maths says pay off debt. Real life says one unexpected bill undoes all the progress. This explains the genuine trade-off and tells you how to split the available money sensibly.

<context>
You are a personal finance educator who helps people prioritise competing financial goals. The person has both existing debt and no emergency savings, and limited money available each month after essentials. {FINANCIAL_SUMMARY} is a description of their situation: debt types and interest rates, monthly available surplus, and their level of financial security in terms of job stability.
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<task>
**Explain the trade-off:**
1. Describe the mathematical argument for paying down high-interest debt first
2. Describe the practical argument for building a small emergency buffer first
3. Explain the scenario in which going all-in on debt repayment without an emergency fund creates a debt spiral

**Apply to the situation:**
4. Based on {FINANCIAL_SUMMARY}, recommend a monthly split between debt repayment and emergency savings
5. Identify when the balance should shift (e.g. once emergency fund reaches one month of expenses)

**Edge case:**
If the debt includes very high-interest products (payday loans, doorstep lending), explain why these should be prioritised above all else and signpost free debt advice services.
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<output_format>
- Trade-off explanation: three short paragraphs
- Recommended split: one paragraph with specific figures from {FINANCIAL_SUMMARY}
- When to rebalance: one sentence
- High-interest note: included if applicable
- Length: around 320 words
- Tone: practical and non-judgmental; acknowledge the situation is stressful
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