Dr. Mike Oluniyi.
…the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. (Lk.15:13.
The battle of extravagance and wastage is one of those battles that are self-inflicted in marriage. The prodigal son in the scripture above felt that he had so much wealth which he could spend anyhow and still have leftover but he was soon faced with one of the harsh realities of life: when you don’t spend wisely, your resources will develop wings and fly away.
There are many who are not able to achieve their life-goals because of overspending in areas where they should have been modest. You must avoid being a spouse that demands for ephemeral things instead of encouraging his or her partner to achieve concrete things. When purchasing things, you must distinguish between assets and liabilities. Assets create wealth while liabilities consume wealth. If you insist on moving out of your rented two-bedroom flat to a rented luxurious bungalow, you should realize as well that the luxury bungalow you are craving for may be the liability that will prevent you from building your own house.
Never assume that money will continue to be in abundance just as you are having it presently; save for the rainy day.
Spend the little money you have today wisely. Some people driving expensive cars today are not aware that they are driving away their future and the future of their children. Some people carrying the latest iPhone today may not be aware that they are carrying their future.
When your family is young, don’t just spend money. Invest it. Every penny in your hand is like a seed, you can decide to eat it, or sow it. When you sow it, it will bear much more seeds later in future.
To win the battle of extravagance and misplaced priorities, you must invest in assets and not liabilities, and encourage your spouse to do so. You must ensure that there is a need for something before you purchase it. You must also make efforts and encourage your spouse to save and invest somehow. Ensure that you also don’t go into debt unnecessarily. Don’t be easily carried away by offer of credit when you are purchasing anything. The creditor may appear to be doing you a favour when giving you items on credit but the money has to be paid back usually with open or hidden interest.
