cash flow is king. it wold be nice to live by Tunnie's rules but it doesn't work out that way. If you have got things nicely balanced, paying off the mortgauge, and saving a bit toward a holiday, and suddenly, oops an accident, your missis get pregnant and her wages stop, then the car need a new cambelt, and halfrauds relieve you of £500, and then then extra work is required, "sorry mate the cam gaskets need doing as well, an extra £250", plus you can't use the car to get to work for an extra couple of days, so have to spend on taxi etc. And if you haven't got £xxx in the bank on the 17th of the month the building society will hit you with penalty charges, plus the bank will hit you for being overdrawn, etc, the suddenly a short term loan is very attractive. And something else comes up, the missus needs special hospital care and you have to take time off to look after her, and the loan doesn't get paid back, you are on the slippery slope and heading downwards.
This happens, all too often. I remember when interest rates were around 17%. What would folk buying their home today do if that happened ?.
We need stability, a bit of tunnie's mantra but we have to watch out for those who get caught out by accident.
Ken