Living large while struggling to survive

2026-03-05 - 03:04

Have you ever heard the phrase “wealthy people plan for the next three generations while poor people plan for Saturday night”? In simple English, the rich plan to leave a financial legacy and as minimal debt as possible, while those who desperately need to plan ahead don’t do so. Perhaps the theory there is that tomorrow will take care of itself. The wealthy continue to plan for rainy days, they invest, they work hard and, importantly, they save. Sure, they may have holiday homes and a fleet of luxury cars. But they honestly live within their means... Cross a few highways, get to a township or two and you have reached the less affluent side of life. ALSO READ: Someone offered to reduce your debt instalments? This is what to beware of It is here where one is likely to find child-headed households, depending on social grants. It is also here where you are bound to find luxury vehicles and expensive weaves. It is here where the word affordability doesn’t exist. Largely, society has bred a nation of people who feel entitled, but what happens when society decides to stop giving into these demands? Will the entitled then be able to sustain themselves? Will 20 year olds with two children be able to feed them without child grants? Safe to assume that tyres and public amenities would go up in flames in protest. ALSO READ: SA consumers prioritise lifestyle over essentials People live beyond their means, something that is not new. Let us however be honest and admit that the poorest of the poor live beyond their already stretched means. DStv on shack roofs, expensive cars parked outside rented rooms and packed taverns from Thursday to Sunday. Arrives Monday, we are searching for coins and change to make up transport money which has now become a sought-after treasure. A week after payday, DStv is disconnected, the fridge is empty and debit orders go unpaid. ALSO READ: Trick to avoid pain of buying a car Against a volatile geopolitical backdrop, the rising cost of living shows little sign of slowing. If anything, it is poised to climb even higher. Households already stretched thin must brace for further pressure as global instability filters into local prices. Meanwhile, commercial courts remain packed with those accused of bending laws to line their pockets, and MPs approve salary increases while ordinary citizens struggle to make ends meet. The contrast is difficult to ignore. In such an environment, perhaps the only sound advice is sobering but necessary: we are ultimately responsible for ourselves. We must plan, budget wisely and prepare for sustainable better days – not spend for fleeting weekends. NOW READ: Navigating Budget 2025: Use these apps to manage your finances