Harare — LIFE has never been so easy. Buying a car, a bedroom suite, a freezer, a stove for the madam, a giant plasma television, the latest fashion and groceries all in one day is now just a part of Joe and Jane Moyo's ordinary life.

Zero deposits, easy lay-byes and instant loans have become the lifestyle for many yuppie Zimbabwean couples who are getting deeper into debt by the minute as they get caught in the instant gratification frenzy.

Welcome to the world of most employed Zimbabweans as the payslip and proof of residence have become virtual visas to have anything on demand.

All services and goods are now available on credit plans.

Many retailers and service providers have realised that getting paid 30 days later is a million times better than having no sales at all.

When Nyaradzo Makamba was dragged to court for failing to pay for clothes taken on credit, she became a prominent example of how easy debt has led many people into a financial noose.

The market seems short of spending money but that has not deterred many consumers and the perennial spender is now embedded in the cyclical debt web.

The crisis sees the borrower getting money from financial institutions that are offering facilities for personal loans.

Many are then using this money to try and pay off other pressing debts that threaten to swallow and bury the debtor for good.

Meanwhile, basics like groceries still need to be purchased, so the person borrows those as well or buys the items with borrowed money. There is no hope of getting off the treadmill.

That is how many people are failing to settle utility bills and school fees debts. The money for basic survival is just not there because it has gone to pay for luxuries procured on credit.

With most companies not giving any salary hikes, common sense should see workers cutting their suits to fit the cloth. But alas, that does not look probable.

With the tempting offers of 'enjoy now, pay later' being pushed into everyone's face, resistance becomes difficult.

A financial institution has gone into partnership with a furniture shop whereby a client walks into the store, gets his goods, the bank then pays the shop and the client pays the bank over several months.

To sweeten the deal even further, the bank then gives the client $5 cash, presumably to buy a bottle of wine to celebrate the new acquisition.

What many people do not realise is that they end up paying an extra 40 percent on top of the original price leaving a very slim paycheque for the next few months.

It is the same story with mobile handsets. Those wanting the latest original and respectable gadgets have resorted to credit in order to afford the phones, which cost more than their monthly salaries.

Most that purchase these state-of-the-art phones may find that the gadget has become unfashionable before they finish paying for it. They then trade in the old phone at a fraction for the price paid and get into new debt for a newer and trendier handset.

In the olden days, furniture was bought after planning and for two years a family would not have the delivery van dropping off a prized possession. This was normally in November and December after payment of the thirteenth cheque.

So what has happened to the present generation?

Could this addiction to credit be attributed to the fact that people are emerging from a near starvation market to a sudden glut of goods but with limited spending power?

But debt traps are not unique to Zimbabwe. The US has the same problem and SA is not far behind. They now even have businesses that have been set up to help people get out of debt.

TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey has had shows on over spending and how to avoid the debt trap.

What lures a buyer to get entrapped in the credit schemes?

Could it be good marketing and advertising that one ends buying unwanted apparel?

"I think it is just a case of wanting to have everything and having it now. The culture of the quick deal and the quick cash is still with us.

"I am sure that most people who get into debt somehow believe that they will get a quick buck somewhere and clear all arrears.

"But those days are over and you will find yourself in trouble," commented one man who was in a furniture shop offering credit terms.

He said that after seeing the price, he had decided that it was better to go for a lay-bye agreement in which he would pay the advertised price in three months with no hidden extra charges.

Others felt that getting into credit is acceptable for buying non-perishable and high value items. "I think credit gives you a chance to buy assets like furniture and cars that you would never afford for cash. But I think going into credit for groceries is just being plain irresponsible," said a certain lady.

What she and many people do not realise is that the goods mentioned are assets that depreciate rather than appreciate in value.

Try selling that car a few weeks down the line and you will be lucky to get 90 percent of its original value!

But there are others who argue that credit is not optional, but the only way to survive. One man who bitterly complained of being heavily indebted had this to say.

"For me the pay cheque cannot sustain my family. So should I starve my wife and children?

"No, I will take care of today, tomorrow takes care of itself," he said.

But come tomorrow the creditor will demand his due.

And the man will have to borrow from another source to pay off the creditor creating even more credit.

Most people expressed the view that control and self-direction are the golden keys to an orderly financial life.

"You have to know what is important to you. I would never buy clothes on credit. If I can not get them for cash, then it means I cannot afford them.

"When will you enjoy looking smart if you are busy hiding from creditors?" queried a woman who was dressed in some very classy clothes.

The urge to display an affluent lifestyle well beyond their means seems to be the biggest thing that has got many people into trouble.

"There is a man that people see on TV living in a fancy mansion in Highlands that he has been failing to pay rent for, for the past year.

"He sent his daughter to a private school in Gweru where he only paid the deposit to get her admitted. Even the Benz that he drives does not belong to him.

"Yet when in public he acts as if he is the richest man in the country," revealed a young man who claimed to have worked as a gardener for the person (name supplied) for several months without receiving any remuneration.

A realistic assessment of your own capabilities may be the answer to get out of debt.

Were the same man to move to a smaller house, he could by end of the year be able to buy a stand and build a modest cottage as a starting point.

Competing with the Tioneis is definitely not a good idea. Mr Tionei could be a company executive and the car he drives and the schools fees for the fancy school the kids attend could all be paid for by his employer as part of his perks.

But the overall choice remains with the individual, those who want it, and want it now will keep on taking advantage of the easy credit that is abound on the market, while others will watch every cent and spend only what they have.