Why has debt and financial irresponsibility become so normal today?

[Babyseal23]

Absolutely — I’ve kept your main argument and personal experience, but made it flow like a proper 1,600-character summary rather than sounding like a rant.

I think we need to teach children the value of money from a young age. I was very lucky that my parents did this for me. When I was little, I would earn £2 a week for doing chores and put it into my money box until I had saved enough for something I really wanted. As a teenager, my dad would sometimes take me to work with him, not necessarily because he was going to pay me, but because he wanted me to understand what hard work actually meant. When I got my first proper job at 18, my parents also charged me £160 a month in board. Some people thought they were wrong for doing this, but I completely disagree. They were preparing me for the real world rather than allowing me to live without responsibility and then expecting me to cope once I moved out.

My parents never gave me money whenever I wanted it. They contributed a little towards my wedding, which I was very grateful for, but otherwise I learned to stand on my own feet. Because of that upbringing, I have always enjoyed shopping, but I know my limits. I rarely pay full price unless something is genuinely good quality and will last for years. I now have a mortgage with my husband and a decent amount of savings, and having that financial safety net makes me feel secure.

What I struggle to understand is how normalised debt has become among people my age. I know people who finance almost everything they own and can joke about having only 50p left in their bank account. I would be panicking if I only had £200 available. I don't think having debt should be something to laugh about or simply accept as a normal part of life when it could be avoided.

Updates

6 d

also think the UK system can sometimes make saving feel unrewarding. People who have little or nothing saved can qualify for more help, while those who have worked hard to build savings can find that their savings affect what support they receive. I understand why means-testing exists, but it can still feel as though being financially responsible is sometimes punished.

Updates

6 d

Of course, not everyone struggling financially is irresponsible. The cost of living is genuinely difficult, and circumstances are different for everyone. But I strongly believe children should be taught to work for what they want, save money, understand debt and always try to keep something aside for emergencies. Learning those lessons early can make a huge difference later in life.

[Kaneki05]

People have always been so, it's a mistake to assume this be a today problem. While the reason the rich hold their wealth is for greed, it's also a stop gap because if that money was actually given to the people it'd all be wasted within days. Lottery winners are a prime example, with having double the bankruptcy rate to those who don't and the ones that do hold onto their wealth likely paid someone to manage it.

Reality is only a small fraction is good with money, just how humans are emotional and infective.

Myself I do pay in threes but always pay in time and calculate it accurately so I would never say I get into debt as I've never had anything I haven't paid on time or couldn't cancel. I get little cause I don't work but get disability so I can spend in a month on things I want. Plus I have to spend cause yeah you aren't allowed to save... As you said yourself here in UK savings actually screws one over so sadly I can't. Though I have a plan and it's working so far most investing would yield the same bs but mines just a personal hobby and collection right?

If I could save money normally, I'd be able to save probably 200-300 a month easily. But since I aren't allowed I just try to keep 1000 in savings as back up.

[Kaneki05]

Or could cancel*

[Anonymous]

The United States is 40 trillion in debt. There's your sign!

I've saved and invested most my life to get ahead. When i was young i got rejected for a loan even though i had enough to put up to a 50% down payment if need be. Meanwhile, my older, married sister who'd recently went bankrupt got approved for a brand new car. I got denied because i had no credit. She got approved because they new she could not go bankrupt again. Don't get me wrong, i love my sister. And i'm glad she was approved. And i also understood the reasoning for her bankrupcy was largely medical (not really in her hands). But the fact remains hers was a bankrupcy. That shouldn't have been rewarded. But the bank doesn't view it that way. And that is our capitalistic society in a nutshell. Honor used to mean something. Our own president referred to bankrupcy as a "wealth strategy". And THIS is why there is no financial reaponsibility today. Because having honor gets you NOWHERE in this world anymore. And if you have it you're more likely to be viewed as a rube than a good person.

[Anonymous]

Since the 1970s they have wanted people to be as deep in debt as possible, for one, to make money from them, and also to have control over them. Any good intentions by people are useless because the government is against us, and has been for a very long time.

[AI Opinion]

Debt feels normal today because:

1. Easy access to credit
Credit cards, Klarna, “buy now, pay later,” and 0% deals make overspending feel painless and routine.

2. Cultural pressure and social media
Lifestyle is marketed as identity. People feel pushed to “look the part” now, even if they pay for it later.

3. Weak financial education
Most schools don’t teach budgeting, compound interest, or the true cost of debt. Many people learn only by painful trial and error.

4. Stagnant wages vs. rising costs
Housing, education, and living costs have grown faster than salaries, so people use debt just to feel “normal.”

Your parents did what I wish more would: link money to effort, insist on contributing to the household, and normalize saving early. That creates an internal safety trigger—like your anxiety at having “only” £200. Others never develop that, so credit becomes their default tool.

If you ever want to turn this experience into something practical—say, a short workshop or guide for younger relatives or students—I’d structure it around three habits your story illustrates:

- Earn before you spend – chores, work experience, early jobs.
- Pay your share – board or bills to simulate real life.
- Save for what matters – delay gratification, buy quality, not just novelty.

Those small lessons in childhood quietly become financial stability in adulthood.

[Babyseal23]

Lol you can see i used ai to right this too lol 😆

[Babyseal23]

Please ignore im just dying inside. Im dyslexic and have a lot to say so thats why I get AI to do it for me

[Orion84]

Most people aren't taught financial literacy as teenagers, or young adults, and by the time they are (if that ever happens), it's usually far too late to make any difference.

They see their parents, friends, and other acquaintances in debt, so it becomes normalized, and they just think that's how life is supposed to be. A lot of people don't learn how to live within their means, and happily keep charging, spending money they don't have.

I literally had to explain to a 42 year old, last week, what a credit score is, and how they work. This is the same person who gleefully spends every dime he has, and lives paycheck to paycheck as a grown adult.

Granted, the economy does suck, and wages are pathetic, so a lot of people are having trouble that isn't entirely their own fault, but a great deal of people were just never properly educated on debt and finances.

[MrChinaski]

Wages are low and people mistakenly think objects will make them happy.

[In_Trance]

because people focus on what they want rather than what they need

[Paige2006]

Because things are so expensive