How Much Money Do I Need To Set Aside?

[oneminutetomidnight]

My first post...
So, I'm going to be directing a short film-noir style movie. It's an extremely low budget film ($1500) and I was wondering what amount of money I should put aside in case something goes wrong during production. I'd like to be able to spend as much of it as I can, but what would you all consider the bare minimum of "padding" money that should be set aside for the type of budget I have?

 

[stef]

Renting equipment is a viable option, so long as I don't break anything like I have a habit of doing.

You need to learn to never do that. Nobody will lend you equipment, and rental houses will be happy to sell you stuff you break. Breaking stuff is a learned habit (and I'm not sure if you used that word on purpose). You need to relearn how to handle, store, and operate gear.