I don't know, maybe it's because I've known both concepts for a long time, but what the OP says seems so logical to me that I find it almost banal. It's like if you want to fry something, you have to add the oil or butter first, not after. It's true that when you start investing, if you don't have an emergency fund built up and good budgeting experience, you may be tempted to dip into your emergency fund to invest more from the outset. But over time, you learn that slow and steady wins the race.