A man with an empty wallet. [Photo/linkedin.com] The meme runs around that humans are the only species that pay to live on earth. The other creatures enjoy God's earth without a care. You would think that the most intelligent species would have free water, free electricity and housing. Well, on the contrary, shelter is one of mankind's most expensive payments.
The kind of house one lives in is either a point of pride or embarrassment. Everyone loves to keep up appearances. That is why it matters a lot what estate you are living in. The aesthetics of the compound and architecture of the house is essential to solidify your reputation. This leads people to buy and rent houses they cannot afford. Some people have more than 60% of their salary going to rent. This looks bad, but it is worse than the first glance. This means that they have the little remaining fraction for food, clothing, commuting and miscellaneous expenses. This leaves little room for savings. It keeps someone working and working some more but not really making much progress. You become slave to keeping up face yet your body is wearing out. The sad thing about rent is that you pay but you never really own. If you go an extra mile and pay too much, you just keep dishing out money but the privilege to live there is not solid. Keeping up appearances is important for your reputation but do not do it at the expense of your well-being. Pay rent you can afford and focus more on building your career and expanding your business. The stress to pile up a bunch of money so you do not get kicked out of your house is terrible for your health. Look at your income and find a house that you can pay without having a case of ulcers at the end of every month.