What does having your life together look like? I prefer the old school approach where you earn everything you have, without relying on loans or a

You can use debt to get rich and have a stable life, if you know how to do it properly. Pretty much every government, business, oligarch, hustler, etc., willingly accumulates debt. Sadly borrowing is a necessity in a world ruled by fiat currency, unless you're lucky or you're born into wealth.