He who hesitates is lost. In the real time world of money and bill paying, truer words have never been spoken. The same could be said about managing your household finances through a money bind, the kind that comes from emergency expenses.

If you ever find yourself with bills to pay but no cash left in your checking account, a quick cash advance might be your best solution. You might want to think about how it works and why you might benefit from it. But don’t think too long – it’s a fairly simple transaction. By getting a timely loan, you might be able to reduce your bills overall.

Here are reasons why hesitation about a quick cash advance is a bad idea:

* Wait too long and you’ll pay penalties. When you’re late in paying your bills, you probably are charged penalties. With credit card bills, when you’re just a day late it can jack up your interest rates to astronomical levels (as much as 29 percent). Timing is everything with personal finance, and a quick cash advance restores control of the calendar to you.

* No waiting for the cash. All quick cash advances are applied for online, processed electronically and the money is deposited overnight into your checking account. You literally can get the cash in 12 to 24 hours – no waiting for a check to clear, as well.

* Instead of just waiting, shop around. If you still need time to think about it, go online to see what kinds of quick cash advance lenders are out there. Check all terms – interest charges, upfront fees and penalties for late payments – to find out which lender is right for you.

You’re smart not to jump too quickly into anything. But the bills wait for no one – a quick cash advance might be the right short-term solution for your current situation.