Do you ever get stressed out feeling like you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck? Yuck, right? My husband and I get that feeling every time we have an unexpected expense, like last month, when my son spilled his entire cup of apple juice on my iPhone! As a stay at home mom and running an online business I rely on my phone, well…$850 later I’m connect again, yikes.

In reality, my husband and I know we’re getting a head in life (at least I think we’re getting ahead) by paying our mortgage every month, putting part of each paycheck into savings, even if it is small, and by limiting how much we charge and borrow. But, we do struggle with how much borrowing is too much.

Borrowing helps us all cover purchases of things out of reach through normal savings; such as a home, new car or unexpected expenses like new cell phones. Done wisely, borrowing positively helps our young family keep things afloat.  Several factors affirm our decision to borrow and provide for our family that you may want to consider:

• Do you have stable income?
• Is your work history consistent?
• Are you saving for retirement?

If you can say yes to these questions borrowing likely makes sense for you. To determine the best use of credit for your family talk to a WCCU lender, they offer a Free Credit Analysis to help you decide.

Good thing my new iPhone 7 is splash and water resistant, so hopefully we won’t have to worry next time one of the kids spills on it or “accidentally” throws it in a puddle!