A wise man once said that when money realises that it is in good hands, it wants to stay and multiply in those hands. Are there ways that you could make yours stay longer?
1. Use the 50/20/30 rule: 50 per cent of net income goes to living expenses, 20 per cent goes to savings or investments and 30 per cent goes to lifestyle choices/ social life.
2. Have a ‘no spending’ money day every week. Pick a day, preferably one on the weekend. Cook and use the food stuff at home, walk wherever you need to etc.
3. Set monthly challenges. Here are some examples:
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a. ‘No eating out’ month,
b. ‘No new clothing’ month,
c. ‘No fast food’ month
d. ‘No driving to work month
e. ‘No taxi’ month etc.
Put aside all the money you would have spent on the expenses incurred otherwise and save it.
4. Calculate how much money you make in a day and think about the sum when making purchases. Say you earn Sh 60,000 a month and work 5 days a week (about 20 working days a month). That means you make Sh 3,000 per day, and Sh 375 per hour. So when you decide to blow Sh10, 000 on a drinking spree, you just spent about 3 days’ worth of your money on alcohol. This will keep you aware.
5. Use the envelope method. This is where you label several envelopes with your monthly expenses and put in each the money allocated to it. This way, you are very aware of how you spend your money. All the money left over in your bank account can then be diverted to savings.
6. Carry lunch to work. Good for your pocket and your health too.
7. Buy household items in bulk. There are items every house has to have; tissue paper, rice flour, bar soaps, toilet soap etc. Save up plenty by visiting a wholesale shop.
Tip: Check the expiry dates on the foodstuff and if you live alone and figure the items are too many, split the costs and items with a friend.
8. Leave your bank cards (credit/debit) at home and carry cash.
9. Limit your mobile banking access to emergencies. If you do your math well, you will be stumped by how much a simple transaction costs you. And these costs add up.
10. Get a loyalty card from the supermarket you frequent. This will give you access to discounts, sometimes even 100 per cent discounts. So why not sign up for the card anyway, it costs nothing.
11. Observe the 30-day rule. If there is something you think you really want, give it some time before impulsively buying it. If you feel that you still have to have it in a month’s time, then go on and buy it.
12. Meeting with friends? How about you invite them home for a home cooked meal and spend some quality time together?
CUT DOWN KITCHEN COSTS
13. Invest in a pressure cooker. When the cost of charcoal is on an all-time high, and boiling the grains using your electric or gas cooker will cost you a pretty dime, buying a pressure cooker will go a long way. It will boil your grains in about 20 minutes and help soften the toughest meat in a few minutes. Research on the available brands and read the manual carefully before use.
14. Boil and freeze grains in batches.
15. Make children’s snacks instead of buying processed foods. There are a variety of options that the children will love. This includes different kinds of sandwiches (meat and vegetable options), pancakes, smoothies of their favourite fruits instead of juice boxes, healthy cookies, toasted bread, fruit pieces cut up into interesting shapes etc.
16. Hosting friends and family? Try potluck
If you have a large group of people coming over, identify three or four people who wouldn’t mind bringing over a dish. You can get Jane, who makes fabulous cakes to bring one over. Dessert covered. Christine who makes wonderful samosas, can bring some over. Tea time covered. The trick is in asking nicely, especially if you had committed to hosting.
17. Forget the local grocery, go to the big markets
As convenient as it is to leave the grocery shopping to the last day, you will save a few coins by taking two hours of your weekend top scout the market. Buy lots of the vegetables that don’t spoil easy in larger quantities. These are the carrots, beets, onions, garlic, peas etc. Package them well and store as recommended.
Tip: Buy tomatoes and avocados of different ripeness scale.
18. Skip the butchery, go to the farmer
If you can get your chicken or goat for your Christmas feast from a farmer, your wallet will thank you. The downside is having to do the actual slaughtering, but this is how I bond with my children. My 8-year-old daughter can slaughter chicken like a pro.
CUT DOWN ON WEDDING COSTS
Bride or groom?
19 . Get married on a week day. Venues charge less during the week than on the weekends when demand is so much higher.
20. Enlist friends. Instead of going for that well known wedding cake designer, how about you work with your friend who runs a bakery as a side gig. You will definitely get a discount. Or instead of leasing vehicles, get your friends to offer theirs. But only if they are receptive to the idea.
21. Invite fewer people. It is your big day, and you want close friends and family to witness it with you. Have a clear understanding with your partner on how many guests respective parents can bring (to avoid busloads of people you can’t remember)
CUT COSTS IN BUSINESSES?
22. Negotiate everything
Ensure that you are not missing out on opportunities to pay less. Always manage your expectations so that they are realistic, but you find that a lot times the asking price is not fixed or the final price. Do your research and find leverage where you can so that you are in a position to negotiate reasonable and save on those vital coins.
Andrew Gwadiva, head of investment and portfolio management at Chandaria Industries
23.Embrace technology and social media marketing
Your customers are on social media. While traditional methods of advertising are still effective, digital social marketing is on the rise. So don’t frown on using Facebook or Instagram to market your wares. It might be just the magic bullet you need.
HOLIDAY FOR LESS
24. Travel is expensive. And especially if air travel and hotel bookings are involved. What if you could find out the cheapest available flights and hotels in the area you are visiting well ahead of time? Well you can. Visit the website www.jovago.com, key in the details and voila, you get the available options.
Extra tip: Usually, connecting flights are much cheaper than direct flights. Of course you will spend much more time in airports than you would like but you could take the time to roam through duty free shops.
25. Book accommodation and flights way ahead of time. This way you may avoid any upward adjustments in prices.
26. Keep in mind the laws of supply and demand. Find out the high and low tourism seasons of the particular country you plan to visit. Costs are usually higher around the big holidays like Easter and Christmas celebrations. In Kenya, January and February are generally the best months to holiday because of the low influx of tourists. Plus you get better service from the staff.
Glance box
DO YOU HAVE MEDICAL INSURANCE?
Kenyan Healthcare Report 2016 says that 75 per cent of the Kenyan population does not have any health (insurance) cover and when hit by a medical emergency, exhaust their savings and rely on well-wishers
