Eminently Eve
In the previous blog post, we discussed 8 different ways to make money in Zimbabwe which do not require capital. In this blog post we are moving on to talk about the money habits that you can adopt that will help you save money after making it, especially in Zimbabwe. “Zimbabwe” being the key word because our financial situation as a country is not one which is that stable compared to other countries. However, “no weapon forged against our travelling plans shall prosper“, we too shall live our best lives the ways we wish too :).
Here are the 4 money habits I believe will help you to successfully save some for your trips.
1. Make a list of every single expense – Make sure you are conscious whenever you are spending your money
How many times have you sat down and wondered where your money has gone to? Failing to account for your money is not only a weakness unique to you. Many people are uncomfortable with numbers and unfortunately money is a game of numbers. You have to look closely at how you are spending your money at all times. Especially when you are just starting, then you certainly have to enter all your income and expenditure on your phone, laptop or well kept exercise book. It is easy to say, “well, I need $50 for groceries every month” but without actually having done a proper break down of how you got to that $50. We call that guesstimating. Money is not something you want to guesstimate about. So make sure you are conscious of whatever you are spending your money on.
2. Examine the ‘expenses list’ you made in step (1) periodically
Do you really need to pay full bouquet of that DSTv even though you spend more than 10hours away from home and when you are home, you are cooking, cleaning and just too tired to finish even an hour long movie. Do you really need Netflix or you’re just wanting to follow the trend and fit in? Do you need to spend that much time online buying so much data or could you spend that time doing something more productive & go online at specific times? Do you really need that iPhone/that latest Samsung or that handbag or yet another Peruvian/Indian/Brazilian hair?
The bottom line is that, if you track every single thing that you spend your money on, you will start seeing the things that you take for granted but on which you are actually wasting your money. So it’s not only groceries & bills that you need to write down as expenses. Even transport costs you incur each time you do those unplanned trips into town; data & airtime you spend every week etc all need to be tracked. Once you have tracked them you know exactly what to do… & that is to practice self restraint. Do not spend any more money on things that you don’t actually NEED!
3. Have a clear saving goal
What do you want to save the money for? How much do you need for that goal? Do not be vague & just say, “I’m saving money to do trips in 2021“. Guess what, you will get to December 2021 & you would have saved zero dollars & done zero trips. You need to be specific & say for example, “I want to go to Nyanga & visit a, b, c, for so many nights & that requires –$”. That way you are making yourself accountable and as you start saving, you will know exactly how much money is left for you to reach your target. If you do not do it that way, you risk stopping the waste of your money in one way and start wasting it in other ways. Instead of wasting your money on data, you may start wasting it on groceries (buying snacks you don’t need). So it’s important that you have clear saving goals.
4. Pay deposits or even the full charges as you get the money
So after calculating the amount of money you were wasting on the things you are cutting out & have a list of your clear saving goals ready; you need to make a conscious decision to put that money aside. The challenge though of just keeping that money under your pillow or somewhere where you can easily access it is that you can easily use it thinking you will be able to replace it. But between you & I, we know you won’t replace it. My suggestion therefore, is that you pay for some of your needs in advance. If you want to go say to Vumba, staying at White Horse Inn for example; then you can start paying for your accommodation in advance as you get the money and just keep your receipts safe. Or if it’s a vehicle that you need to hire, from Presley Car Rental for example, then the same applies. By the time your need to travel comes, it already feels like you are travelling for free because it’s as if you are not paying anything at all.
Okay, so those are my 4 money saving habits that I think will help you to successfully save for your trips.
Happy money saving & happy travels in 2021.
Remember to always have a little intimacy in your life, and as always I’m talking about intimacy with nature.
