January 15,2007
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The Roof Over Your Head
If you are poring over your bills and discovering that there is just not enough money to stretch over all your obligations, you may find yourself scrambling to prioritize. Everyone knows that late credit card payments are a mess best avoided, if only because card collectors are so tenacious and annoying. No-one wants a hassle, and may have learned from experience that the mortgage lenders or landlord won't make so much noise if you slip the payment in a few days late.
It's time for a reality check, however. Your housing is paramount, as it is one of the basic necessities of life. Sure, your landlord might not be hassling you at all hours of the day to pay your rent, but most won't hesitate to stick an eviction notice on your door, either. This is truly a vicious cycle, because foreclosure can really sink your credit like nothing else. Sure, you'll still have your plastic, but you'll be stuck with no place to live, and no credit with which to find one. The best way to avoid this is to pay for your home first. Everything else tends to pale in importance!