I occasionally asked my girlfriend for money in the past (100-200$, not more). It was during covid and I was FOMOing pretty hard, I’m not proud of it.
Thank god I now understand what a huge trap was this mentality and learned (kinda) to not rush towards my goals.
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I made a similar thread like this a while ago. It’s fun to read the answers from right in the boom of 2020
Always make sure I’m within my limit. Saved me a couple of times when I talk myself out of making some huge purchase right before some unexpected issue came up that tried it’s best to bring me to a single digit bank account. I still think I should probably spend less per month, but so far so good. I personally hate the idea of being in debt, even if some people can use it to boost their credit scores or whatever. Considering I graduated college in 2018 and I’ve still got years left to pay off my student loans probably, I hate the idea of a monthly payment, so I do anything I can to not get into any sort of debt.
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This exactly. Im not going into debt for Pokémon but that doesnt mean im not being irresponsible with my money 
Never done it myself, don’t like being in debt in general. Totally get it though.
In my part of the world at least, being in manageable debt (the kind that may lead to a downgrade at some point but won’t leave you on the streets) is the reality of a whole economic class of people. House loan that your children will inherit, student loan that you’ll pay down until your 60’s, credit card debt that fluctuates throughout the year.
I have plenty of money, but sometimes I’ll use PayPal pay in 4 to spread out a bigger card over 6 weeks. It just feels better and most times I pay it off early or sell something to make up for it. I never carry a balance over $500-1000 that I could very easily pay off with my bank account. It’s different than PayPal credit.
#1 Golden Rule for myself:
Never borrow money to buy pokemon cards.
I can tighten belt and cut the other personal but non-essential expenses (eg; dining in restaurants, spa massages, watch movies in gold class, etc), but I will not borrow money or take loan for pokemon cards.
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I got enough student loans to worry about. I’ve made it a rule not to go into debt for Pokemon Cards.
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It’s crazy to go into debt to buy cards or other luxurious items.
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If buying on credit card period is considered going Into debt, then every purchase I make is me going into debt.
Because I know how reward systems work and use the hell out of them. No reason to pay for anything out of debit and I’d rather not hook my personal debit up to any of these sites for payment methods.
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This is da wae! 
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Cash rewards credit cards are amazing. I use to max them out & use the 0 interest intro apr promotions they had. Extremely useful tool to build yourself up if you know what you’re doing.
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3% on all paypal purchases is so cash, literally
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Never was in debt. If I can’t afford it - I won’t buy it.
But I had a start with all that “money going down the hobby drain” back in the 00s when I started to collect action figures/vintage stuff so I learned how to spend money on such things over years. How to choose a better option or how to be patient.
Also when you die all that stuff won’t matter or will be thrown away. It’s not worth being in debt for something like that.
It supposed to be a hobby that brings happiness and heals your mind wounds. Not a hobby that creates problems.
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There is a smart way to leverage money, but it’s definitely not for everyone. I see it as a way to advance but you also have to know a lot about the subject you’re dabbling in. It should go without saying. I’m also pretty disciplined when it comes to calculated risks and money.
POV - the 5 people with $10,000+ in debt for Pokemon cards
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When i entered the hobby again as an adult i used part of my student loan to get cards (but in finland it’s a bit different since you pay nothing for school or studying itself) but i also stored majority of that loan for buying an apartment and was working at the same time so i kinda had it balanced (in finland the loans also aren’t overall that big, mine was barely 10k from 3 years and the interest was around 0% for longest time). Still probably not the best way to use that loan but it’s tough to regret anything since wotc cards started to raise a lot some time after my studies and probably couldn’t have afforded them if i hadn’t bought them when i did
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To claim my dunce hat and since opinions are all pretty much one sided, i’ll give a bit different viewpoint.
Yes I have some pokemon related debt, I would prefer I didnt. Nothing with major consequences but sometimes a couple hundred dollars that goes on a credit card that i pay off over some time. Some by accident and some by optimism that tells me I can juggle it. There was a time I was certainly addicted to buying. I am more a collector by nature and have a harder time selling what I have. I probably could very easily sell parts of my collection that I dont need but Im not a good salesperson. Pokemon is a hobby that i get fulfilment from not something that is an avenue for money. I would rather sit on cards forever than take less than I think they are worth but Id also sell way under if I feel theyd be more important for someones collection or if I dont see that much worth myself. For me fulfilment is from the experience, not always about the card (or deck in my case).
As far as why debt, for a time my personal life left me with few outlets to get fulfilment the way i can by being involved in Pokemon cards. Also reckless spending with some unhealthy fomo as a coping mechanism. Some buys were just really good deals, like worth spending more than i had at the time for. For helping keep my personal mental health in a place that helped bring balance within my life, I have been willing to pay for it. Its not necessarily a healthy or sane or recommended option. Rationally I wouldnt recommend it but its not hurting me in my personal life except for the fact I could probably benefit some from more cash on hand, im not in need nor at risk of not having my needs met.
I still struggle with how easy it is to purchase things you cant afford at times but i try to stick to my budget. Sometimes my willpower wins and sometimes it doesnt. Its a bit shameful at times to admit especially in threads like this since everyone always seems to be able to adult in a much more functional way.
Im not sure if that helps or clarifies things for anyone with a viewpoint from the other side. Hopefully no one is so in debt from pokemon that they cant meet their needs.
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I’ve never built up debt for Pokémon, however I must admit that in the beginning I was perhaps a bit “over-motivated” and neglected savings plans or even used saved money, with the mentality : "I’m only in my mid-twenties, so I can treat myself and save later, the money is not lost because the cards have a value“.
Long Story Short: would not decide again so.
What has helped me is a spreadsheet in which I track my monthly fixed costs, possible special expenses (vacations, gifts, upcoming car repairs) and my savings with a time horizon of five years. 
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Never thought of that before, damn this is the turning point!
In maybe a year you can already see my dead body hanging because I went too much in debt for Pokémon cards