I always say that money is a tool we use to shape our lives and the world around us.And I'm not afraid to put some of it toward helping my friends when they're in need.There is no sacred rule that says you can't pay your friend's light bill. I did.During the pandemic, many of my friends hit hard times. One of my oldest friend's mother fell down the stairs and was hospitalized in February 2020. A few months later, another friend broke up with their partner of three years.Because of lockdowns, I was unable to see my friends and offer support in person, which was difficult. It pushed me to search for another solution, and in Spring 2020, I started my "Friend Emergency Fund" savings account.I wanted to help my friends when I couldn't be there in personI work from home as a financial educator and talk about money all day, every day. Even if I couldn't be with my friends physically to comfort them, that didn't mean I couldn't use my money to help them get through these days.For my "Friends Emergency Fund," I transferred about $300 to a new high-yield savings account. My idea was simple: This money would be dedicated to helping my friends and loved ones when they were at their lowest.I spent $80 to send a ham and several side dishes to my friend whose mother was hospitalized, so she didn't have to think about food for a week. I sent $20 to buy pizza one night for my friend going through that breakup.Five years later, I still have this savings account and maintain the balance at $300. It's become a permanent part of my financial life.I've used it off and on throughout the years. Most recently, in January, I used it to send my best friend from college $60 to pay her share of the electric bill. She's recently made a big move to open her own business, and I know money is a stressor.As a financial educator, I teach that money is a tool we use to shape our lives and the world around us. There is no sacred rule that says you can't pay your friend's light bill or use your money to make your loved ones' lives easier where and when you can.I help pay for my friends because I know what money struggles are likeIn my 20s, I lived at the poverty line for a couple of years while struggling to pay off my student loan debt.I'm 36, but I have never had a full-time salaried job. Instead, I strung together part-time roles before starting my own business. This has meant that, for most of my life, money was something that was painful in my life. I know what it feels like to not have enough of it to feel secure.Now that I am finally secure, I want to use my money to smooth other people's paths. This account has helped me do that and had a surprising reach.When I first shared that I had started this account in 2020, my social media followers were enthusiastic about it, with several sharing that they would start doing the same thing. And when I shared about it again more recently many people said that this was how money was meant to be used.I've been touched by the positive response it's gotten online, and I hope more people will consider creating one of their own.