Next week is Sorted Money Week, the series of money-themed events across the country held by private sector, government, schools and community organisations. It's our yearly opportunity to check in on our money situation.
This year is themed around debt, but we're taking a different approach. "What does debt do for you?" is the question we're asking everyone. Instead of it being about good debt, bad debt, dumb or smart - this time the test for whether it's worth taking on debt is our wellbeing.
So is your household debt dialling your wellbeing up or down? If we could, it would be healthy to ask our debt, with a bit of attitude, even, "What have you done for me lately?"
And since the roots of the word "wealth" are in wellbeing, the question is actually whether our debt is increasing our wealth - in the widest, most life-affirming sense of the word - or draining it. (You can guess which option we're promoting.)
There are some strong opinions about debt out there - as there should be - I'd guess just as many as there are about money.
I've always found it helpful to think of money and debt as tools - much like a hammer that we can choose to build or break with. (Again, you can guess which option is preferable!)