9 Comments

At points while reading this piece I had visceral discomfort. Not because of your ideas but because of what the information was challenging in me: some very deep sense of unworthiness if I even have debt that I am unsure of being able to pay off each month. Was that shame? And if so, how awful that it has become internalized! Like all effective oppression, if planted well enough, the external forces are almost not needed anymore to produce its effects on the intended subjects. Thank you for keeping insidious nature of the debt culture clear for your readers.

Expand full comment

Thank you for sharing this and for investigating your discomfort! You're so right: The moralization around debt has been implanted in our culture so deeply that no one needs to *tell* us to feel ashamed of it; we can bring that on ourselves.

Expand full comment

I found this article to be a very non-judgmental view of credit card debt. The suggestions offered provided some pro and cons for each. Hoping this helps others.

Expand full comment

Thank you, Joan! I hope this is helpful to folks, too.

Expand full comment

I really needed this today. I've been feeling a lot of shame over taking on debt and it's becoming clear my business isn't making enough to keep up with expenses, but it was that or take money out of retirement. It's fascinating how much this societal shaming drives what we do. Thanks for this insight.

Expand full comment

So happy this found you at the right moment, Cristy 💖 Keep making the choices that let you experience the life you want!

Expand full comment

I just wanted to say I don't think I've ever read something so straightforward, non-judgmental, and frankly helpful about money, debt, and especially credit card debt. So often it's really hard to find straightforward answers to what seem like very common questions when it comes to finances. That can make it hard to know if a choice is BAD bad, or just less than ideal, and the shades in between. I really appreciate the information and the tone.

Expand full comment

Thank you so much for this feedback! This is *exactly* why I started Healthy Rich and why I love writing guides like this. I'm so disappointed at how un-useful some of the most popular content in personal finance media can be — we can do better!

Expand full comment

At a very gut level I have always had a visceral reaction to paying more than the minimum on my credit cards because I could do something else with that money and OBVIOUSLY the banks don’t need my money as much as I do to take care of my family and myself. It’s such a mindf*ck of guilt that we are judged based on a FICO score that is completely made up and arbitrary.

Expand full comment