I was brought up in The 40's and 50's when credit was almost unheard of. My parents taught me to live within your means.
It enabled me to save enough to put down on a house ( £500!) and still have a few luxuries. All this changed when I got married. She turned out to be a spendaholic and bled me dry. When we split I had debts for the first time in my life with little to show.
I got over it by working my socks off, met and married a girl who hated owing money. Thirty six years later were still together, have no debts and we enjoy simple pleasures.
I still think very carefully before buying anything new.
It's possible to recover from a financial disaster but better to avoid one.