Charles Stross

Debt is great source of inner unhappiness.

A man must cut down his outgoings and save his incomings if he wants to clear himself; you can’t spend your penny and pay debts with it too. Stint the kitchen if the purse is bare. Don’t believe in any way of wiping out debts except by paying hard cash. Promises make debts, and debts make promises, but promises never pay debts…

A creditor is worse than a slave-owner; for the master owns only your person, but a creditor owns your dignity, and can command it.

Those have a short Lent, who owe money to be paid at Easter.

If you’re thinking of debt, that’s what you’re going to attract.

Simply put, unsustainable debt is helping to keep too many poor countries and poor people in poverty.

Wars in old times were made to get slaves. The modern implement of imposing slavery is debt.

People are living longer than ever before, a phenomenon undoubtedly made necessary by the 30-year mortgage.

If there is anyone to whom I owe money, I’m prepared to forget it if they are.

I say to you never involve yourself in debt, and become no man’s surety.

Debt, we’ve learned, is the match that lights the fire of every crisis. Every crisis has its own set of villains – pick your favorite: bankers, regulators, central bankers, politicians, overzealous consumers, credit rating agencies – but all require one similar ingredient to create a true crisis: too much leverage.

Live within your means, never be in debt, and by husbanding your money you can always lay it out well.

Speak not of my debts unless you mean to pay them.

A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man; a debt he proposes to pay off with your money.

He who promises runs in debt.