> How much of a financial cushion would you recommend taking? I'd say as much as you can get, and then some. :) In all probability, your projects will start t

> How much of a financial cushion would you recommend taking? I'd say as much as you can get, and then some. :) In all probability, your projects will start turning out to be inaccurate as you progress. If and when that happens (I do hope it doesn't, but as they say, sh*t happens), having a good cushion will do a lot to your peace of mind and allow you to maintain focus. One point of caution though: If you go this route, do not forget to maintain a strict financial discipline. In the worst case scenario (which may actually be good), you will end up paying interest on the unspent money but the benefits of having it around should far out-weigh this. (You could also structure this so that you don't pay interest on unspent amount but that's a different topic.)