6 Reasons Why Many Newlyweds Are Swimming In Debt

Welcome to today’s world, where ‘’save the dates’’ are constant on our social media timelines.
A world where instagram and facebook popularity matters more than anything to most young people. We live in an era where luxury has been redefined to mean ‘’normal’’ and where the modest and moderate person is tagged as ‘’old fashioned’’. Our forefathers got married in a clearly different way and white weddings were not a requirement. Today, no matter how you decide to get married, without the fancy and luxurious white wedding/ reception, you are considered ‘’archaic’’. To many, it doesn’t matter how they get married but to quite a large number of others, the public image is everything. In an attempt to have that ‘’talk of the town’’ event, many young couples overlook the effects that having an over budget wedding can have on post-wedding life. In the end, we realize that many newlyweds are broke these days. After the wedding, life becomes difficult and even though they may not share these struggles publicly, the hustle is real. Jumia Travel, Africa’s leading online travel website discusses a few reasons why many newlyweds are broke.

1. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! – Call this the fundamental reason why many newlyweds are broke and you will not be far from being right. Life is all about planning. We always need to plan in order for us to have control over the things we want to achieve. Mostly, young couples who decide to get married do not plan carefully therefore everything takes them by storm. Accommodation, employment, feeding and all other basic stuff need to be in place to live a comfortable married life. Primarily, a regular source of income is needed if things are to run smoothly. Getting married without any of these in place only means that you will be left at the mercy of anything that life brings. There is nothing much worse than not being prepared for life after marriage. For men, it’s a little more complicated because instead of taking care of one person, now it becomes two and sooner than later three or more. You need a plan before you get married otherwise the financial pressures that comes with life after marriage may leave you broke. The effects of a financially handicapped family are devastating sometimes and occasionally even fatal.

2. The fingers are not equal – This proverbial statement is often used comparatively and it definitely makes a lot of sense. The fact that your friend did A, B and C at her wedding doesn’t mean you should do same when you don’t have the means. You may not know where her funds came from or what he did to get that kind of wedding. Live within your means and spend what you can afford. You are better of comfortable in marriage than broke after the ‘’big wedding’’. Everyone can have a great taste but everyone has the same budget for it. Always ensure that you do not try to be someone else or do what others have done especially when you cannot afford it. Many young couples will spend millions on trying to beat what their friends or family may have done. The question remains, have weddings now become competitions? Your wedding was more glamorous than hers yet she is happier than you because she is financially stable. Food for thought.

3. No expectations mean no disappointments – This is a simple life principle that helps those who obey it. When you have mighty expectations about what things should look like, you often get disappointed when you don’t get it that way. ‘’My dream wedding should be like this’’ and ‘’ i have dreamt of this all my life’’ are some of the things many people say. They go all lengths to make it happen no matter the expense. Although it is good to dream, you need to manage your expectations and rather than leave everything to chance, know what to expect. This way, you don’t get disappointed if things don’t pun out your way. There is life after the wedding. Think about this, will you rather have the dream life after an ordinary wedding or a broke life after  a dream wedding? Don’t expect too much or you may end up disappointed.

4. It’s never too late to marry – Family pressure, all your friends are married, you are past 30 and many other reasons are what causes many young people to force their way into marriage even when they are not ready for it. Even aside the financial implications, there comes with an unprepared marriage physical, emotional and psychological implications. It is never too late to marry and although it is great to get married early, you need to consider your financial position amid every other aspect of your life before making that decision. Family and friends may give loads of pressure which may lure you into caving in but remember, after the wedding you are alone in it. Be wise!

5. Is the fancy honeymoon necessary? – Who came up with the ‘’honeymoon’’ idea at all? For those who can afford it, it’s amazing! A time to actually really connect with your new partner. Spend quality time and enjoy all the intimacy that being married comes with. It’s the beginning of a life long journey and often finishes with memories to keep forever. Some take it easy and have a modest yet fun and lovely honeymoon. For several others these days, it has to be a fancy trip overseas. Destination Dubai, The Maldives, Turkey, South Africa, The Safari’s in East Africa or even Asia. The fancy 5star hotels, desert tours and expensive living is fun and memorable yet financially very draining. If you have the means, why not? If you don’t, then better sit back and use that money to do something profitable to ensure that you don’t go broke right after that. It will be great to have these memories but for a lot of young couple these days, rather than build a life to enjoy memories forever, they just spend lavishly on the memories now and go broke for a long time. ‘’Na memories you go chop’’?

6. The debt factor – Finally, a very important topic. DEBTS! The most painful part of life is being in debt. To owe somebody money that you don’t have. The headache and the pressure of living life with a negative sign on your account is never a great feeling. Many young couple get married in debt and struggle over the next few months and years to settle these debts. It may take a long time to recover because after weddings come added on costs. For some, they even owe many of the wedding vendors which brings about embarrassing comments and social media posts. If you don’t have have the means, have a wedding with the vendors you can afford. Luxurious brands come with high costs. Be ready to pay for them if you want your wedding to be the talk of the town fancy dream wedding. However, no matter what you do, ensure that you do not owe after your wedding. Living in debts can ruin  the harmony of your marriage.

Marriage is great and weddings have to be fun but don’t end up broke after marriage, it’s the worst experience ever! Happily ever after is far better than broke ever after.