There are some people that really do not like being in debt. There are others that do not mind too much but think that being in debt should be avoided as much as possible. However, should we go so far as to pledge to stay debt free for the rest of our lives?
It is worth noting that there are different types of debt. Often we think of the word debt to mean someone with many unpaid credit cards, overdrafts and loans struggling to make the minimum loan repayments. However, there are debts which are often classed as good debts.
Good debts can include many different things and people are not always in agreement as to what a good debt is. However, it is usually agreed that mortgages and student loans are forms of good debt. This is because by having them you can improve your financial situation. Take a mortgage, for example. You will borrow money to buy a house. In most cases the house will increase in value so that even though you have paid to borrow money you should still gain from it. The increase in value of the house should be more than the cost of the loan, particularly if you keep the house once the mortgage is paid off. You will also save money in not having to pay rent. There are also non-financial gains of security of knowing you have a permanent residence, knowing you have something to pass on to your children and having a place of your own that you can put your own stamp on.
However, bad debts are very different. These are debts where you use the money to buy things which will not benefit you greatly. Of course, this can be a very subjective decision as you may feel that certain things will make a big difference to you and other people may not agree. You will need to work out whether you think that the pros of getting the loan outweigh the cons. Obviously the loan will cost money and commit you to repayments over a certain time period but you may think that it is worth it if you get something really good out of it.
Some people may decide that they never want to be in debt again if they have had problems in the past. Perhaps they have built up so much debt they struggled to pay it back or they are worried that they will get into big trouble with debts and it is understandable that they may be worried. It could also be a concern that interest rates have stayed low for so long that getting a loan now could mean that it will become very expensive as interest rates can really only go up.
Only you can really know whether you are safe to get a loan. You know whether you can trust yourself to pay it back and whether you have the funds to be able to do so. You may have some idea of what your future might bring and how secure your job is, so you can work out whether a loan is a big risk or not. Your age could be a factor too as if you are coming up to retirement it may not be a good idea and perhaps if you are planning a family your income may go down and your expenses up so it could make finances very difficult to manage.
Staying debt free for your whole life could be a sensible policy if you fear that one loan could lead to another which could lead to a mountain of debt. Only you know whether you are likely to be like this or whether you will have the self-discipline to keep control of things. You will also need to think about your personal situation and whether you think that you will be able to manage the repayments, both in the long term and the short term. However, you could limit your financial future by deciding that you will never get into debt. You may have to avoid university because you will not get a student loan, never own your own home or not be able to start a business because you will not get a loan. So you need to make sure that your decision makes sense.