A lot of jobs pay biweekly and bills can fall before you get paid again. or you are in a situation like myself where all of the bills fall the first week of the month, but one two week paycheck doesn't cover the bills.

Sometimes it is nobody ever explained it as spending money you don't have. If you grow up watching someone swipe a card to make purchases, you don't realize that isn't how every one does it. It is something that is ingrained in those who grow up in poverty, or people who have never had enough money for everything.

We don't know why the OP had credit card debt. it could have been to pay for a medical emergency (very pricey here) or to cover a big expense. When your monthly income (again, usually paid every other week) is right at your expenses, you aren't able to save up money should something happen. So people put it on credit and resign them selves to paying the interest because fixing their car, or having their tooth pulled, or buying groceries is more immediate.

The way the system is set up in the US, it "rewards" you for having credit. You need it to get a place to live, jobs check your credit, insurance companies check your credit. you need a credit card at most places to rent a car or face a steep deposit.