IN A TIME LIKE THIS: Good Wives, Plan With Your Husband

Personally I'm not owing anyone a dime. Since relocating to Lagos, I've done big and small things, all based on what my resources can accommodate. I am comfortable at my level. In fact, people are owing me, almost a Million now, I guess some of them will end up reading this.

Before the recession they couldn't pay me, is it now that there is no money that I will start pursuing them? Sigh! People need to plan their lives and finances well, especially married couples.

This is where wives come in: 

Most times men get into financial issues because they want to impress their wife by spending on her, the way she's seeing other ladies showing off on social media. But if you plan well with your hubby, things would get so good for your family in a short while and everybody will enjoy at a comfortable level, rather than the usual rush of 'buy me this, buy me that' which drains his finances.

Please read the piece below and be guided:

It is no longer news that financial noose has been tightened around the neck of Nigeria economy. Many have sad tales to tell. Jobs have been lost, contract opportunities had waned while free flow of cash is ceasing by the day. For the first time in Nigeria Industrial Unions are bargaining with their employer to reduce their take home pay as an alternative to reduction in the work force capacity. 

Prices of items in the market assumed ever increasing graphical curve. Job opportunities are reducing by the day notwithstanding the ever increasing universities graduates. Many vocations are being overtaken by technological advancement. More hands are becoming idle.

In a time like this there is the need for a CHANGE of attitudes and styles to avert being swept away by sudden economic tide. Below are suggested changes:

1. If you are an applicant take the next available offered job even if it is below your dream job. 

2. Buy only items that are considered as necessities. Postpone all luxurious articles till later dates. 

3. Forget about living a life to satisfy others expectation at the expense of your purse, income or convenience. 

4. Avert taking unnecessary risk in your place of work or business that has the possibility of making you loose your job or major client. 

5. Be committed to your profession, job or business more than ever before. 

6. Re-evaluate your recurrent expenditure pattern like children school fees and effect necessary changes if found beyond your income line. 

7. If you are blessed with many cars try and use those with less fuel consumption capacity. You may have to combine outings instead of members of the family taking different cars out for combinable outings. 

8. Except you can afford it, resist all aso ebi or color of clothes made mandatory by a person inviting you to a ceremony. Nobody will prevent you from entering the venue even with your own kind of dress. 

9. Avert social functions that will tell terribly on your finances in terms of distance and the content of the Programme. Why not just send 'envelope' to the organizer instead. 

10. Let those asking you for money know that things are no longer the same: Stop pretending at your expense. Stop suffering in silence. When the chips are down you will be alone. 

11. Notwithstanding any promise to the contrary, avoid lending money to anyone an amount which if you don't receive on time will hurt your financial stability. Many friendly loans will be irrecoverable now as many expectation will be dashed. 

12. If you are a tenant living in a rented palatial apartment with many rooms left unutilized, it is high time you get a smaller accommodation. 

13. Where the house is yours and most of your children are adult leaving you and your spouse in a big apartment with less than half of the house being utilized, quickly consider modifying the house into smaller units with the possibility of earning rental income. 

14. Plan only on funds at hand, avoid permutations based on promise made by others. In a time like this, the promisor may fail. 

15. Where it is possible talk things over on phone with people rather than putting your car on the road for physical meeting. In addition avoid endless fruitless banters on phone. Be conscious of the call card cost and data usage. 

16. If you have a large retinue of hangers ons around you reduce the frequencies of meals. 

17. Shut all lights that are not required in your house to minimize the energy bills. 

18. Do more physical exercise to minimize constant requirement of drugs. Learn to trek short distances, it help to improve your health and relive you of avoidable small expenses. 

19. If the regular food in your house is becoming dearer look for alternative. For instance yam is a substitute for bread in the morning. 

20. If you will bear heavy responsibility in an event, insist on moderate programne in line with the amount you could afford.

With these and others you can add by yourself, you will live without pressure and build a decent life.