Debt is a trap a lot of people can't extract themselves from... lately, I have become rather intricately connected to debt, as a result of Mrs. Denmarkguy and I starting to look at the possibility of needing a new roof on our house in the next few years and not having the likely $10-12K in cash to pay for it.

But here's the irony: Even though we own the house outright with no mortgage, we are not "credit worthy" enough to get a home equity loan, because we have no credit "history." Well, building a history requires you to start with credit cards and installment loans for people who have "shit credit." Which means that you have to "earn your stripes" by borrowing at 29% interest and paying it off, in order to take out a totally over collateralized loan.

Where that becomes relevant to your two posts is that debt becomes a bottomless pit most people can't get out of... and so they end up borrowing at ridiculous rates, and then having to borrow to pay off loans... and on and on.

Meanwhile, we look at our own kids drowning under their mountains of student loan debt which will remain a noose around their necks for probably another 10-15 years (they are 29 to 33 now).

Makes me wish for $2.00 Hive so I could just power down and pay for that roof...