Living below your means and saving for a rainy day are always a good idea. I’d usually recommend avoiding debt, too — except that in some cases it makes all the sense in the world to have it.
Ultimately, the problem with debt is when the lender says “pay up, now.”
Choosing to pay more for something now is one’s own call.
Leveraging assets to improve investments sometimes is smart.
Understanding the risk is critical.
If you own a home outright, and the value goes to $0, at least you have a home.
You don’t want to bring a big check to closing when selling the house.
And you sure don’t want the lender saying “it’s mine now, get out” - which is possible right up to being a day late on the last payment.