What bill should you pay first when money is tight?

When there isn't enough to cover everything before payday, the order matters more than the total. Rank bills by what you lose if they go unpaid this week, not by whoever emails you the most.

Rent or mortgage first, always. It is the slowest thing to recover from and the most expensive to lose. If it is genuinely out of reach this cycle, talk to the landlord or servicer before the due date rather than after — a payment plan agreed in advance costs far less than a late filing.

Electricity, gas, water. Reconnection fees and deposits turn a $90 bill into a $250 one. Most providers have hardship plans and will split a bill across two paydays if you call before the shut-off notice.

Non-negotiable, and it is a real line — plan it as a bill instead of whatever is left.

The car payment, insurance, gas or the transit pass that gets you to work. Losing the way you earn turns one tight week into a tight month.

Cards come last when cash is short. Paying the minimum on time protects your credit report and avoids the late fee, and that is all it needs to do this week. Pay more than the minimum only after everything above is covered. If you carry balances on several cards, put every spare dollar on the smallest one and keep the rest at minimums until it is gone.

Subscriptions. Five at $9.99 is $600 a year, and each one cancels in under a minute. Cut them before you skip a utility bill or a card minimum.

The order is easy. Applying it to your own dates is not — bills land on days your paycheck doesn't. That is the math people run in their heads at 2am: what is the balance on the 16th if I pay the card on the 14th?

Tru does that part. Enter your bills and paydays and it maps your balance every day ahead, finds your tightest point before payday, and tells you what to pay, hold or skip on each day.

Try Tru free