Pride is something that has cost many Kenyans; more especially the youth. This is a crop of young, ambitious and educated Kenyans who believe that living in a single room is degrading themselves.
Some of these young men have several girlfriends, whom they want to please. They therefore don’t want to be seen near a single room or a bedsitter, that’s abomination. If wishes were horses, they could in fact live in Karen, Runda or kileleshwa where driving is the order of the day.
I have come across men who earn as little as Ksh 20,000 looking for a one bedroom house in Donholm, South C and Nyayo estates. When I ask them how to raise the rent, they never give satisfactory answer. Two or three months down the line, they are seen looking for a single room in Kibera.
The experience I have had in Nairobi is enough to advice whoever earning less than Ksh 40,000 to carefully consider living at most a bedsitter. The best thing with living in a bedsitter is that rent is between Ksh 5,000-Ksh 10, 000, unlike a one bedroom which goes for Ksh 13,000 in most estates in Nairobi.
Most of us came to Nairobi to look for money; it doesn’t make sense spending three quarter of your salary on rent, which leaves you in debt the better part of the month. It is laughable when I see someone always getting broke on 15th of every month yet they earn money that can sustain them even for two months, if well spent.
If for instance you are earning Ksh 20, 000, there is no need of looking for a house where you’ll be paying rent of more than Ksh 5,000.Just go to kibera, Pipeline, Kariobangi and Mathare and get a single room for Ksh 3,000.this will give you humble time to concentrate on your work and save some money to develop your village.
Someone earning ksh 40,000 in Nairobi will end up receiving Ksh 33,000 in his bank account after tax. A wise man will spend only Ksh 9,000 on rent and save at least Ksh 10,000 every month. But what happens in Nairobi, the same person will live in a house where he pays monthly rent of Ksh 14,000.He will also have two girlfriends who take Ksh 5,000 each per month, he will also spend some good cash on drinking. Surely, even if this man works for 20 years, will he even rescue himself from poverty.
We were born differently, and there is no time you will be your friend. Don’t compete with people who are not your class, always keep your lane and set your own standards based on your capabilities. It doesn’t cost you anything to live your life; if God blesses you to be better than others, well and good but if it was written that you will be poor, so be it.The only option you have is to work hard and leave the rest to God.
You should always aim at saving and not spending what you don’t even have.
