We finance everything now – even burrito delivery. Americans closed 2025 with $1.233 trillion in credit card debt. Nearly half of cardholders carry balances. One in five thinks they’ll never pay it off. This isn’t just “bad budgeting” – it’s an economy built on revolving debt and minimum payments. How did we normalize installment plans for lunch? And is modern credit a convenience… or a quiet form of slavery?

Timestamps:
00:00 - The Debt Economy
2:45 - The Rise of Buy Now, Pay Later
5:50 - How We Got Here
10:58 - Is It Just A Self Control Problem?
14:32: - A Way Out? 

Watch The Deep on Zeale: https://zeale.co/podcasts/the-deep