Frankly, you need both.
Get the AK first. The Romanian WASR's are just fine, and the cheapest of the lot. Put some time into refinishing the furniture, upgrading to a Tapco trigger, and shooting it.
Later on, get the SKS.
Think: AK for defense of your home and family, SKS to outfit family members with a defensive rifle, and for hunting if the SHTF.
I appreciate that $$ is an issue, but ask yourself this: Can you afford not to? What will you do if there is a ban, or, more likely, a shutdown of law and order for a period of time? Remember the Vietnamese store owners in LA, during the OJ riots, standing by their property, AK's in hand? Those guys are still in business.