"Pay off your credit cards every month."

Writer Regina Brett's life lessons are great little nuggets of wisdom.  There's something for everyone!
I'll be reflecting on this week's lesson:  "Pay off your credit cards every month." 

Oh boy, this one's a toughie for some people!  I do my best to pay my bills on time, but hey, sometimes it's hard to remember every last thing.  And we've all had our share of financial crises from time to time.  Things happen sometimes.  Cars break.  People get sick and need things that their insurance may not cover.  Things at home need to be fixed.  Clothing emergencies occur (and I'm talking about actual wardrobe malfunctions, not "Oooh my favorite store is having a shoe sale!).  Holidays come and go, along with the often high expectations of our loved ones.  And... let's face it... sometimes our favorite store has a shoe sale that we just can't resist!  When money comes in slow, it seems to go out quickly.  The trick is to live within our means.  We need to take a look around us, and really prioritize what we need over what we want.  Paying our bills are a legitimate "need."  If you're able to pay off your credit cards 100% every month, you'll sleep a lot better knowing that your charges aren't out there garnering crazy amounts of interest.  If you cannot do this, at least get your minimums paid... but then consider doing the work to get as far out of debt as you can.  Life is so much sweeter when you have lots of room on those credit cards for rainy days.

Visit Regina's website here.