I'm about $12K in debt due to student loans. Minus that, I have about $400 that I owe on, made up of medical bills and credit card debt. I only got my first credit card two years ago. It came with a $500 limit and I've left it there because I know I'll spiral out of control if I get a limit much higher than that. Also, by using my debit card instead of cash for most of my purchases, I can easily see what my money's going into. And if there's something I really really want, I'm patient enough to wait until Christmas time or near my birthday and start dropping hints