Bill Triage
Score = (essential level × 10) + (late fee ÷ amount × 100). Service cutoff dominates.
Pay first: water/electric > car/rent > internet > credit card. Bump credit card higher only if the fee ratio is brutal.
Decision fatigue kills judgment in a cash crisis. A weighted score — essentiality plus relative late-fee pain — pulls emotion out of the mailbox stack and tells you what to pay when.
Part of: Saving & Spending Calculators
Quick answer
Pay first: water/electric > car/rent > internet > credit card. Bump credit card higher only if the fee ratio is brutal.
Key points
- ▸ Essential levels: 4 water/electric (service cutoff = unsafe), 3 car/rent (transportation + shelter), 2 internet (income-critical for most), 1 credit card (credit hit but no service loss).
- ▸ Score = (essential × 10) + (late fee ÷ amount × 100). Higher = pay sooner.
- ▸ Service cutoff bills move first — the reconnection fee is often 3–5× the missed payment.
- ▸ Small bills with high late-fee ratios can jump the list — $25 late on a $60 bill is 42 score points.
- ▸ Call utilities before cutoff — almost all have hardship programs.
Examples
- Electric vs credit cardElectric $180 / $25 fee / lvl 4 → score 53.9. Credit card $250 / $35 fee / lvl 1 → score 24. Electric first.
- Tight rentRent is level 3 — but if it triggers eviction proceedings, mentally bump to level 5 and pay first.
- CableUsually level 1–2. If not needed for work, skip a month before a level 3+ bill.
When to use which tool
- Bill TriageMain tool — ranks bills by combined score with a pulsing critical-band highlight.When you can't pay everything, which bill first? Weighted ranking by service-cutoff risk and late-fee pain.
- Shock SurvivalFor the buffer question — can you even cover the critical tier this month?How many months of debt service survive an unexpected shock expense. Critical warning under 3 months.
- Gig Net FloorIf gig work is the patch for the cash gap.What DoorDash or Uber actually pays after IRS mileage depreciation — real hourly vs the minimum wage floor.
Related
- Bill TriageWhen you can't pay everything, which bill first? Weighted ranking by service-cutoff risk and late-fee pain.
- Shock SurvivalHow many months of debt service survive an unexpected shock expense. Critical warning under 3 months.
- Gig Net FloorWhat DoorDash or Uber actually pays after IRS mileage depreciation — real hourly vs the minimum wage floor.
- Calorie-per-DollarMost calories per dollar spent — survival math for when the food budget is hard-capped.
Frequently asked questions
› What if I can't pay even the top bill?
Call before cutoff. Most utilities have emergency assistance, payment plans, or partial-pay options. Silence is always worse than a call.
› Is it worth protecting credit score over food? Trust & accuracy
No. Score recovers in 12–24 months of on-time payments. Unsafe conditions compound faster than credit damage.
› How should I use this guide with a Kefiw tool? How-to
Use the guide as the plan and the linked Kefiw tool as the check. Read the steps first, try the move manually, then use the tool to compare outputs, catch edge cases, and decide whether the result actually fits your task.
› What mistake do tool guides help avoid? Troubleshooting
Tool guides help avoid using a utility mechanically without understanding what you are trying to accomplish. Most word, writing, and text utilities are fast, but speed can hide context mistakes. Know whether you are solving a puzzle, cleaning copy, drafting a line, or checking a rule.
› Can a tool guide help me learn the skill? How-to
A tool guide can help you learn if you pause before accepting the output and ask why it worked. Compare your first guess with the tool result, look for the rule or pattern, and repeat that review. Passive copying solves one task; active review builds the skill.