hi there I'm somebody struggling with credit card debt who is considered extremely frugal with purchases

the bulk of my credit debt was incurred when I was forced to pay several months of rent using my credit card during unemployment that resulted from a mental health crisis

not everyone with credit card debt got those balances buying "frivolous" things and even many of those who did were buying those things as self-medication along the same lines as abusing alcohol, drugs, food, etc. (not an excuse, but still a reason to empathize)

a lot of people I know with large credit card balances have them because they were forced to put uncovered health expenses or astronomically large copays onto the cards in order to not severely damage their health or outright die

just a friendly reminder that the elite weaponize the working class sentiment of "some people are so much more lazy/irresponsible with money/etc. than I am!" to keep us at each other's throats shaming each other instead of sticking together as a community

Ehhhh I wouldn't be so sure

It's really easy to fall into when you're month to month.

You just barely scraped by on the rent and essential bills. Now you have $36.29 to make it through the next 2 weeks.

But hey, you do have that credit card with a few thousand available. You need to get food for the house and $36 ain't gonna feed the kids. You'll be frugal. Maybe $200 or so. You'll pay it off next month.

But next month it's the same story. Minimum payment it is.

And next month

And next month

And then you need emergency dental surgery

And then...

You're only one bad hospital visit away from that same thing