I avoid it, too... and have taken on no new debt since 2015, and we're still digging out of the aftermath of so-called "medical debts."

Having had $70,000 worth of consumer debt (back in the 1990's) I know the drag of digging out. I always likened it to "bailing out the Titanic with a teacup." You feel like you're working a lot, but all you're really doing is making the sinking process a little slower.

Banks seem to prefer to lend money to people who don't need to borrow money...