So, to get it all off of my chest, here is the series of pitfalls that I followed before discovering this lovely site.
1) Upon graduation, immediately wracked up 6k in credit card debt on stupid crap that I wanted and did not need.
2) Moved, forgot to change addresses, completely ignored the fact that I knew there was 6k in debt.
3) Wracked up another 5k on stuff for the new place
4) All 11k went to collections (paid in full, because I created the problem, but seriously, my early 20s was a mess)
5) Boy meets girl, they date, he buys stupidly expensive engagement ring (0% finance, but still, financed)
6) Boy marries girl, buys stupidly expensive band to add to engagement ring (0% finance, but still, financed)
7) Boy and girl have baby, girl totals car week before delivery, boy buys (almost) new SUV for girl (financed at 3%)
7a) Boy is still paying for his tiny car that gets great gas mileage, but that he bought during the horrible 11k collections fiasco, at 15% interest.
8) Boy buys girl beautiful (and stupidly expensive) matching necklace and earrings for first anniversary (14% interest)
9) Boy totals car that he had finally finished paying off, buys new (compact) SUV, (0% financing though)
10) Girl asks boy for house, boy buys house (WITH PMI) with pool as well as front and back yard grass, IN A FREAKING DESERT, because girl liked it.
11) During all of this, boy and girl wrack up about 25k in credit card debt due to traveling and consumer habits.
12) Because completing one master's degree completely on student loans was not enough him, boy convinces girl to join him in another master's program, completely on student loans, which they might not even be compensated fully for because of a contract restructure after the program was already in progress.
All of this when Boy and Girl are teachers. Public school teachers.
Don't mind me, I will be that faceless chap a couple of miles back picking up the bits of his face that are left over from the punching.
(In happier news, since discovering this site, I have knocked out 15k of that credit card debt, with the other 10 on pace to be removed this year, our credit rating is through the roof right now, so when I get another 10k on the mortgage knocked out, refi with sofi should be easy (hoping rates stay low), we have solar on the roof, self-rigged water reclamation from the sinks to help off-set watering, and have FINALLY stopped buying crap because we want it. Baby steps.)