PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH
The first time I tried to save money was a long time ago with a “kolo”. For those who don’t know what a kolo is, – I consider this weird especially for a Nigerian, but nothing shocks me anymore in this country – it's a cuboid-like box (could come in other 3D shapes) with a tiny slit at the top that easily allows you to put in money but makes it hard to remove the money. This should be named one of the most innovative inventions of the century, it’s simple, to the point, and does its job. I would put the money I was given for school/food inside my kolo before I left for school. I couldn’t trust myself with Mama Uche’s array of biscuits and other tempting snacks.
But back then, I saved with a purpose and gave myself a timeframe. I always had something I wanted to buy. And when the time came, I would break the box, count my money, and go buy what I had in mind to buy. I used to save for events too – class parties, end-of-the-year school parties – I had a big boy cred to keep up, the streets were rough.
This trip down memory lane has made me realize something, which is, it’s so much easier to save money when you set a certain goal and have a particular timeframe to achieve said goal. Financial experts will tell you how important it is to save but ignore to tell you why in particular you should. The common perception is that you are doing so for any stormy weather that may occur in the future but life is full of uncertainties. You might be overwhelmed with said stormy weather that even your savings won’t be able to get you out of or you might just go through life without ever facing a weather that stormy. It’s a 50/50 something. Having a particular goal that you are saving towards should be important to anyone that wants to save, not just saving for a future stormy weather that isn’t a given and all that.
Some people save to the extent that they are starved of their daily necessities (can’t be me). Yes, there is such a thing as chronic saving. See, everything under the surface of the sun has its pros and cons, and saving depends on what you choose to focus on. I’ve tried to save money recently and failed woefully at it. I don’t earn much and the idea of saving money when you can barely get by seems laughable. I’m not against saving but I’m against doing it bogusly but who am I? I’m just a speck of dust in this vast universe and you know, every mallam to his own kettle. I for one, like to save, but doing so without a particular goal in sight makes it easier to spend it on a whim. A classic case of the soul is willing but the flesh is weak.
“Na person wey get money dey save am”, “Omo, you only live once, you fit to die tomorrow”, “chop life make life no chop you ooo” – These are some popular statements made by Nigerians when they are about to blow through their savings. I would know, I’m one of those Nigerians. Saving money is a skill that not a lot of people possess. I’ve tried it as well as many other Nigerians and blown through it without remorse – times are hard – and other times I’ve actually gone through with the savings to achieve a set goal. So, if you want to save for the future because saving money can save you, or towards a particular goal, do so with this in mind, “life is not guaranteed and anything can happen at any minute”.
Thank you for coming to TED TALK!
NB: I no too get sense like that, so no too reason this piece at all
