debt is increasingly becoming a major obstacle to well-being in the lives of everyday Americans. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Center for Microeconomic Data, 2017 was the fifth straight year of household debt growth, to a total of $13.15 trillion.
We are all familiar with the obvious ways that debt can ruin our lives -- but what about the not-so-obvious ones?
1. Debt ruins your spontaneity
Forgot about that spontaneous urge to stop at your favorite coffee shop on your way to work. When you're in serious debt, every extra cent you make goes (or should be) going to pay down that debt as quickly as possible.
Sitting home bored on a Friday night, and suddenly get the urge to go shopping? Forget about it. Just sit back and binge watch your favorite show on Netflix, or clean out your fridge -- which leads me to my next point.
2. Debt ruins your social life
Of course, your best friends won't mind hanging out at your place and gossiping over homemade meals that are saving you a fortune, but let's face it, most of your friends want to go out for dinner, go to movies and concerts, take spontaneous road trips. They might be polite and supportive for awhile, but eventually, they may start hanging out with friends who have more cash -- and less debt.
3. Debt makes you (unintentionally) selfish
Since you are (hopefully) following a budget to help reduce your debt levels, you suddenly realize that you can no longer afford to donate to your favorite charities.
And when that homeless person asks you for some spare change, your natural instinct is to say yes, of course -- but then you suddenly realize you are carrying no cash because you have no extra cash to spare.
4. Debt takes away your right to be lazy
Now is not the time to just sit back and hope that you win the next Powerball lottery.
Getting out of debt requires action. Besides setting up and sticking to a budget, you also need to find ways to make some extra money. You could turn a favorite hobby into a paying gig, mow lawns, house sit, or walk dogs. In some cases, you may have to consider trading in your full-time day job for a higher paying one, no matter how much you like it.
5. Debt takes away your dignity
In extreme cases, if you have tried everything and still can't seem to break out of the debt cycle, you may have to swallow your pride and ask a family member for help. Or worse, go crawling back to the bank that has rejected your repeated requests for a consolidation loan, and beg them one more time to help you find a way out of this mess.
If you're serious about getting out of debt, there are a lot of resources to help you out. Don't be afraid to reach out for help, because being in debt is not just a financial burden, but an emotional, social, and psychological one as well.
