Freedom from Debt Bondage

The not so fun side of living on borrowed money is that you end up owing more money for a long time after the money is spent. This can go on even after the things you bought with borrowed money are no longer so precious to you. Your college years are exciting, but years later you're still trying to pay off student loans even if you switched to a career in a field that has nothing to do with your expensive university degree. Moving into your dream house is wonderful at first, but a few years later the house isn't so dreamy and the monthly mortgage keeps taking a bigger bite from your income than you can really afford. A shiny new car is a thrill, but three years later the shine is gone and payments remain to be made. The latest, greatest computer is nicer than a cheaper model, especially when you can get it on the "no payments for six months" plan, but you're still paying for that computer long after it has become old and slow compared to the newest ones. Keeping up with all the latest clothing fashions feels great, especially when all you need is a magic credit card, but it doesn't feel so great when fashions have changed and the credit card companies are hounding you.