Live on what you earn,
Live if possible on less,
Never borrow for vanity or pleasure,
For vanity will end in shame,
And pleasure in regret. - Author unknown.
Why do some Nigerians indulge in flamboyant lifestyles? Why do some of my compatriots like ostentatious living
even when they can ill-afford it? Who do they want to
impress? It is not uncommon to see some Nigerians acquire
gadgets they don’t need, can’t afford, and don’t know how
to use. Some persons are obsessed with acquiring all
modern contraptions they see; from cars, to phones, wrist- watches, computers, music machines, television sets, air
conditioning systems, freezers, cookers and other household
items. Starting with cars, some people are gripped with the
Sport Utility Vehicles (which in local parlance is called Jeeps)
and other posh cars. They allow themselves to be lured by
credit facilities granted by some banks or car dealers to buy at almost double the market price. Because they have a long
term to pay back the money for the cars, they jump at it
without thinking through if they actually need such classy
cars in the first place or if they could maintain them. Quite
unfortunately, some of those cars do get stolen or get
involved in accidents even before the owners finish paying the loans. If the vehicles are not insured, that is tantamount
to double jeopardy as they would still have to repay the loan
for the lost car. The same goes for other afore-listed
appliances or gadgets. Some people have up to three
smartphones, just as a status symbol. I have seen people
who are looking for jobs buying BlackBerry or smartphones when what they actually need is a phone for basic
communication. The sad pity is that a significant number of
people using smartphones do not know how to make
optimal use of them. All they know how to do is to call, text,
take pictures, and access the social media (Facebook, Twitter,
etc). The phone may yet have over 20 other functions which many of the users never know how to operate. This inability
to make maximum use of the phones and other electronic
gadgets arise from the owner’s inability to read the
manufacturers manual of such appliances. The same applies
with computers. There are some people who unnecessarily
acquire desktops, laptops and i-pads for personal use. When asked why they are buying all these gadgets, they’ll tell you
they perform different functions. Some will say they want to
be current or want to be seen as being sophisticated. There
are people going for LCD, flat screen television they don’t
have the resources to buy. Some buy on loan from their
cooperative societies or through bank facilities. There is also another category of Nigerians who though love to party but
would rather borrow to throw the bash. They buy everything
for the celebration on credit – foodstuff, drinks, and rent
hall, cloths, among others. The one they couldn’t get on
loan, they borrow to pay for with the hope that they would
use money given them by well-wishers to offset the debts. Oftentimes, little or nothing is realised from this expected
source. With the party over, the host begins to worry and
dodge from their debtors. What a life! Can’t people just learn
to live within their means? Again, who are these people
trying to impress? Is it the society that is insatiable? Is it the
people who will extol your virtue today when the going is good and tongue-lash you when there is nothing to offer
them? I pity people who always want to be trendy. I mean
the gadget freaks. They want to have the latest cars, phones,
computers, wrist-watches, cloths, shoes, bags, belt,
perfumes, ties, eyeglasses, settees, and many more. Good, if
they can afford them. But, it is patently clear that many could not but are just acting under peer pressure. The
humongous amount some people invest on contraptions
they barely need, referred to as toys in the social circles, is
enough to build decent houses for their families. Of what
use is acquiring all manner of gadgets when you are in a
rented apartment and unable to meet the basic needs of your immediate family? For sure, you don’t have to be
ostentatious to be fashionable. Some people misapply the
dictum that, “As you dress, so you’ll be addressed”. You can
dress simply and moderately and still be appreciated. These
people forget the wise saying that it is important to cut
one’s coat according to the length of the cloth and not one’s size or as put by one of the Pentecostal pastors, “Life is in
phases, men are in sizes”. This rat race has led many into
avoidable debts, financial crises, crimes, sickness and even
untimely deaths. Pity, sad pity. If only many of us will cease
to be impulsive buyers. If only we would think deeply and
separate our needs from our wants and imbibe the economist principle of scale of preference and opportunity
cost. If only we would resist peer and family pressures and
live our lives decently within the limits of our resources. If
only we understand what is an asset and what is a liability.
Then, and only then, would we save ourselves from the
needless hassles of ostentatious, glitzy and vain-glorious living.

i figured out dat most people find it hard to differentiate dier needs from dier wants. People fail 2 realise dat human wants are numerous nd cannt all b met bt human needs can stil be limited 2 a reasonable extent...
Goin 4 wat u NEED instead of wat u WANT is simply WISDOM. Pls, BE WISE!!!!