Having an emergency fund is essential. But I am sure if I take a poll, the number of people without one would far outweigh those who do. You could kick yourself for not having one, but nothing should stop you from starting an emergency fund. So what is an emergency fund? It is simply having money incase you need it, outside of your normal budget. I have had a few instances where I needed a plane ticket or needed work on my car. Some times you receive "unexpected" bills that you cannot get out of. I know you have had these sort of thingd happen to you. Hopefully you have had money for these times. If not you know how hard it is to deal with. Well don't let yourself be in the uncomfortable position of asking for help again. Opening a savings account is the first step. If you have one, congratulations you are off to a good start.
Banks offer different choices. A Bank Of America Savings Account may offer you a higher savings account rate than another bank. It may off you a lower rate. You shouldn't get too worked up over those details. As always, keep it simple. Open one and drop as much money as you can afford directly into it. After that, you need to set a monthly allotment of an amount you can afford to part with. Having 10 or 20 dollars deposited into your account may not seem like much, but that is $120 - $240 a year that you may have if you blow a tire and need to buy a new one. Of course, if you can, put more than that into it. $50 - $100 a month are better options. Now after a year you may have $600 - $1200. Doesn't that sound nice?
I cannot stress the importance of having some sort of an emergency fund readily available. There are many banks that can help you out and offer more in depth options than what I have written about here. Contact a few banks and find out what you can get. But start one today, or else. Sorry, that was a bit dramatic.