A time of dire need also drives us to take risks and make bargains in which we try to minimize a loss. Benjamin Franklin said, "Necessity never made a good bargain." The way to avoid this dilemma is to strive to never put yourself in a place of necessity. For example, piling up monthly bills for items we can do without or expensive vacations that we will put on our credit card and then pay over time is risky. That can easily lead to a severe need.

Foresight is a form of wisdom that cuts down on the number of times of need we may experience. One example Jesus gave was His account of the ten virgins. Five had enough oil for the night just in case the bridegroom was delayed—they had prepared ahead of time. Five did not prepare and did not have enough oil. In their time of need (brought on by poor choices) there was nobody to help. That time of need was not necessary had they learned the simple lesson of looking ahead and making choices that avoid having needs.