I Thought Saving Was for the Rich, Until Life Taught Me the Hard Way.

When I first got a job at a TV station, I felt like I had made it.

Every month when my salary came in, I had a system; rent, transport, groceries. check. Then came the pressure to keep up appearances. Weekends with friends, good clothes, a few drinks to unwind. I thought I was balancing it all.

But the truth is, I wasn’t.

The money I was making wasn’t enough for the lifestyle I was trying to live. I didn’t want to look broke, so I started borrowing, small credits here and there just to meet my needs and wants. Slowly, those small credits piled up.

Then it hit me, my employer stopped paying us. Three full months without a salary. The same salary I had always depended on, the one I thought would always be there, stopped coming.

Reality checked me hard.

I couldn’t borrow from friends anymore, I already owed them. I had nothing saved. For the first time in my life, I had to survive without a salary. I started doing things I never imagined I’d do. One day, my neighbor had a leaking roof but was too scared to climb up, it was old and dangerous. I told him, “I’ll do it.”

Risky or not, I had to make money.

That season changed my whole mindset. I used to think saving was only for people with extra money, people who were already rich. But I learned the hard way that saving is for survival, not just for comfort. Even saving K20 or K50 each month could’ve helped me during that dry season.

What This Blog Is About

This is why I started this blog, to share what I’m learning about money, savings, and financial discipline. Not as an expert, but as someone who has been broke, in debt, and under pressure.

If you’ve ever lived hand to mouth, or felt like your income disappears before the month ends, this space is for you.