PT Barnum wrote the following back in the 1850's:

"Mr. Beecher advised young men to get in debt if they could to a
small amount in the purchase of land, in the country
districts.  'If a young man,' he says, 'will only get in debt
for some land and then get married, these two things will keep
him straight, or nothing will.'  This may be safe to a limited
extent, but getting in debt for what you eat and drink and wear
is to be avoided. Some families have a foolish habit of getting
credit at 'the stores,' and thus frequently purchase many
things which might have been dispensed with".

Looks to me like not much has changed since the 1850s.

-James

Click here for the rest of Barnum's writings on finance.