How to Grow Assets While Carrying Debt — What You Must Reduce First

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When you already have debt,
there comes a moment when you start asking yourself:

“Should I keep growing my assets?”
“Or should I pause for now?”

If you already own real estate
or are actively managing investment accounts,
this question becomes even more real.

Many people think:

“If I earn just a little more, everything will be fine.”
“If I grow my assets further, this will solve itself.”

But in reality,
debt makes the situation psychologically far more complex.

When debt is present,
there are things you must reduce before trying to grow.

If you skip this step,
assets may grow — but the structure becomes weaker.

Today, let’s look at
what must be reduced first,
and how assets can be grown safely even while carrying debt.

1️⃣ The First Thing to Reduce When You Have Debt — Fixed Expenses

The defining feature of debt
is that it creates fixed monthly outflows.

In this situation,
the biggest risk is not your assets —
it’s your spending structure.

Living expenses that have gradually increased
Consumption standards raised after taking on debt
Fixed costs that could be reduced but are simply left untouched

If you try to grow assets while leaving this unchanged,
cash flow slowly becomes suffocating.

2️⃣ The Second Thing to Reduce — Urgency

Debt creates time pressure.

Interest payments arrive every month,
sooner than you expect.

When I bought my home,
the interest payments felt just like paying rent —
and that pressure made me impatient.

That impatience often leads to thoughts like:

I need to generate returns quickly
I can’t miss opportunities
I’m falling behind others

But urgency is the fastest way to lower investment quality.

When debt exists,
stability matters more than speed.

3️⃣ The Third Thing to Reduce — The Desire to Add More Options

When trying to grow assets with debt,
it’s easy to keep adding more investment choices.

Real estate
ETFs
Individual stocks
New investment ideas

But as options increase,
management energy gets scattered.

I’ve experienced this myself.
The pressure to repay interest quickly
made me constantly search for faster, higher-return opportunities.

But during this phase,
simplifying your structure is far more important than expanding it.

4️⃣ The Fourth Thing to Reduce — Ignoring Interest Rates and Exchange Rates

Debt is one of the most sensitive structures
to interest rates and exchange rates.

Yet many people only start paying attention
after they’ve already taken on debt.

Why?

Because at the moment of borrowing,
the focus is on getting the money —
not on the environment surrounding it.

When interest rates rise, burden increases immediately
When exchange rates fluctuate, asset value feels different

Growing assets while ignoring the environment
is one of the first habits that must be reduced.

5️⃣ The Final Thing to Reduce — “Growing More Will Fix Everything”

It often feels like
growing assets will solve all problems.

But with debt,
asset size is not the most important factor.

What truly matters is:

Can cash flow withstand pressure?
Are there options left during a crisis?
Can assets be reduced if necessary?

If these conditions aren’t met,
bigger assets often lead to greater anxiety — not stability.

Unexpected events always happen,
and without proper buffers,
growing assets can mean growing outflows as well.

📌 Final Thoughts — With Debt, Reducing Comes First

Growing assets while carrying debt
is not impossible.

But several steps must come first:

Reduce expenses
Slow down urgency
Simplify structure
Acknowledge the environment

Assets grown after these steps
become support — not burden.

Having debt doesn’t mean giving up on growth.
But only those who reduce what must be reduced first
can grow assets sustainably and calmly.