Perhaps one of the very best preparedness steps you can take is to get out of debt completely. When the bills you have coming in each month can be counted on one hand (and can be supported by a .25 time job) there are not many disasters that can truly ruin you.
This means pay off your credit card bills, pay off your car, and pay off your house. In that order. I know it sounds overwhelming but plenty of people have been able to do this (warning: a big lifestyle change is usually in order if you have been used to supporting your lifestyle with debt) and the rewards of being completely debt free are practically too numerous to count: stress diminishes, you go to work with a whole new attitude, you have actual cash--hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month--at your disposal, you can start working on your dreams instead of being tied down to the daily grind for fear of losing your job and not being able to pay your creditors. And, for us preparedness folks, it gives us a very good sense of well being--you don't NEED a job so can relocate in an instant, you don't have bills coming in so you can travel for months on end, you don't get caught in credit scams, you get to keep your money and spend it on more interesting things (like a nice new firearm) instead of on interest, late payment fees, over limit fees, etc.
Bottom line: become completely debt free. Yes, it's that important.
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