We might instead worry about how we’ll squeeze in a bit of spending money once the mortgage or rent is paid and the bills that keep everything ticking over are met.

But that doesn’t mean we truly know what it is like to do things hard, how it feels to not have a roof over your head, to not know where you and the kids will be sleeping this time next week.

That’s the stark reality if you do not have a permanent home.

Homelessness. The picture so many of us get is of people sleeping rough, of the bag lady pushing a shopping trolley full of her belongings along the main street, the old scruffy fellow bedding down in a shop doorway with cardboard to keep him warm. There is no doubt these people are in our community and thankfully, there are many organisations who provide them with the help they need. St Matthew’s church in Albury is well-known for playing such an important role in looking after these people – whether it be a shower or a hot meal or somewhere to bed down for the night.

But it is a sad fact that sleeping rough is just a minuscule part of homelessness.

For the reality is that homelessness permeates so many parts of our society.

It has in fact hit crisis proportions. This can be seen in the large numbers of people walking through the door at yes unlimited’s The Hub in Albury, in the young mums helped by Junction Support Services in Wodonga. Every story is different but the catalyst carries common themes – financial problems, mental illness and domestic violence figure strongly.

And another common theme is the shame that people feel when they find themselves in such a dire predicament.

Homelessness agencies on the Border are getting busier and busier, doing an outstanding job of meeting everyone’s specific needs and helping find them a path ahead.

They work together with a common goal, their shared goodwill making the system work.

But it is clear this is not enough. It is time for the community to unite to tackle homeless – to lobby MPs for proper resourcing, to help push for a more strategic approach at the highest levels of government and to take care of friends or family they suspect might be in crisis.

It’s time to care.