Having a complete aversion to debt I think is foolish, you have to use it creatively and be careful not to go too far.
Debt is eroded by inflation, so if you can borrow money at below the inflationary rate and save it in a general savings account or put it in money markets then that can be more beneficial than paying off something immediately.
For instance, I have about £4,000 on a credit card, which I used for some larger expenses a while ago. It's interest free for a promotional period, which is a common arrangement in the UK and elsewhere. I could easily clear it tomorrow, but I would need to take money out of savings, which is earning me money. Meanwhile, the debt has no interest on it, and only a fixed fee of 1% for 24 months of this. If I can beat ~0.5% a year then I shouldn't pay this debt off. That's pretty easy right now, but even before the base interest rates increased on current accounts you could typically earn a decent amount on the stock market, in the long run.
Of course, the card provider is betting on you failing to pay the card off, and incurring higher interest payments. But you can beat that by ensuring the monthly payment amount over the promotional time will clear the card. You also need discipline.
Buying things in cash also usually offers no payment protection; if I buy a holiday with my CC and pay it off in full next month, I'm covered even if the tour operator goes bust.