Tournaments are safe for small bankrolls.
I mean your
bankroll might be down to zero, but it will last longer for sure than cash games.
And another thing to add is that what types of tournaments to choose with a small balance. In my opinion playing qualifying sit n go's (for example on stars there is 16-players, 2-seats) with small buy-in you could qualify to higher buy-in tournament and then depending on your skill it'll determine your outcome in that higher tourney. Its easy, fast, less paying buy-ins, and could give back a decent pay-out.