--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Imagine you owe on five credit cards, you…" description: "\"Imagine you owe on five credit cards, you owe five debts. So which debt should you pay first? And the answer is very simple: You should pay the one wit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/dan-ariely-1899_answers_imagine-you-owe-on-five-credit-cards-you_1060799.png" --- # Imagine you owe on five credit cards, you owe five debts… ![“Imagine you owe on five credit cards, you owe five debts. So which debt should you pay first? And the answer is very simple: You should pay the one with the highest interest rate first. But that's not what people do.” quote by Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/dan-ariely-1899_answers_imagine-you-owe-on-five-credit-cards-you_1060799.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/dan-ariely-1899_answers_imagine-you-owe-on-five-credit-cards-you_1060799.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/dan-ariely-1899_answers_imagine-you-owe-on-five-credit-cards-you_1060799.png) > “Imagine you owe on five credit cards, you owe five debts. So which debt should you pay first? And the answer is very simple: You should pay the one with the highest interest rate first. But that's not what people do.” [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Paying the highest‑interest debt first minimizes total cost, yet people often ignore this. **In simple terms:** Pay high‑interest debt first. Key Takeaway Focus on costly debt. Themes finance behavior debt Mood analytical practical Type educational motivational When to use this quote - budgeting - loan repayment - financial counseling - personal finance Key Concepts interest rates decision making financial literacy Questions to Reflect On - Why do we avoid the optimal debt? - What habits help prioritize payments? A Different Perspective Emotional attachment to debts can bias choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Cards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cards/) [Credit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit/) [Credit card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit-card/) [Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/) [Debt Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt-pay-952108/) [Debts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debts/) [Debts Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debts-debt-2589908/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Highest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highest/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Interest rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest-rate/) [Owe Debts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owe-debts-2589907/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) ## Related quotes > [If you have loans, the first thing you want to do is say, "Okay, look I have a credit card, if I really need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-have-loans-the-first-thing-you-want-to-do-is-say-okay-look-i/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“In Heaven, there are no debts - all have been paid, one way or another - but in Hell there's nothing but debts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/in-heaven-there-are-no-debts-all-have-been-paid-one-way-or-another/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [As a civil rights attorney and the daughter of a preacher, I understand I have a debt to pay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-crockett/as-a-civil-rights-attorney-and-the-daughter-of-a-preacher-i/) [Jasmine Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-crockett/) > [If death is a debt must to pay, then you should not be afraid to live your life making the best of every moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaze-olamiday/if-death-is-a-debt-must-to-pay-then-you-should-not-be-afraid-to-live/) [Blaze Olamiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaze-olamiday/) > [I am a firm believer in reincarnation for people who either have more work to do or have so much debt to pay back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince/i-am-a-firm-believer-in-reincarnation-for-people-who-either-have-more/) [Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince/) > [“You still owe a debt. 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