Puisa Kotha Hunibo? Our relationship with borrowed money

One of the biggest surprises after starting Moneybar was the number of people who assumed we gave out loans. We don’t. We focus on enabling people to make better financial decisions. Yet that misunderstanding got me thinking about something much bigger.

We seem to be constantly looking for loans, or at least looking for places where we might get one. Many of us see loans as the first solution whenever money is tight. Maybe I understand why the need arises. But that’s a conversation for another day.

It also made me realise that many of us treat loans as if they are our own money. Perhaps that’s why they’ve become so appealing in the first place.
But why? A loan isn’t income. It isn’t a bonus. It isn’t free money. It is borrowed money. And every loan comes with one responsibility, to repay it.

While building Moneybar, we’ve read reports and had multiple conversations on loan defaults. Families, friends and neighbours, almost everyone knows someone who borrowed money and never paid it back. What stood out was how casually repayment was treated, as if paying back a loan was optional rather than expected.

One thing became clear: the amount is rarely the issue. It’s the behaviour.
Ideally, people borrow with a repayment plan already in mind. They know how the loan will help generate income, how long repayment will take, and what sacrifices they’ll need to make. The loan has a purpose before the money even reaches their account.

Here it’s a different story. The celebration begins the moment the money hits our bank account. The repayment plan comes later, or never. How scary is that coming to think of it? Think of a farmer. The harvest doesn’t begin when the seeds are bought. It begins with preparing the land, planting carefully, and patiently putting in the work. Only then comes the harvest. Borrowing money should be no different. It deserves the same discipline.

The truth is, there is money to lend. Banks have it. Financial institutions have it. Credit is available online in minutes. Shopping apps offer “buy now, pay later” with just a few taps. Sometimes, even the people around us are willing to lend it. Access to money is no longer the biggest challenge.

The bigger question is whether we’re treating borrowed money with the responsibility it deserves. Let’s ask ourselves one question. If someone asked to borrow money from you today, would you be completely confident they would repay you on time?

That hesitation says more about us than any statistic ever could. Loans will continue to exist. New credit options will continue to come. But unless we change the way we treat borrowed money, the stories around loans will remain the same.

The original published column can be found at: Our relationship with borrowed money