It Pays To Save

Did you know that if you could faithfully save E5 a day, you would have E1 825 at the end of the year? And that’s just saving in a piggy-bank or cookie jar. Now imagine how much you would have if you saved this money in a way that would earn you some interest.

The old adage about saving for a rainy day may seem a bit tired and boring but the reality is that saving yields positive results. Take Sandile, for instance. When he was a university student about a decade ago, he decided to set aside a bit of his personal allowance every semester. By the time he graduated he had about E12 000 in his savings account. When he got his first job, he used this money as a deposit towards a car that would safely get him to work every-day.

“It took a lot of discipline to get started and there were times I felt like tapping into those savings and splurging a bit. It helped that I had the end goal in mind and a mother who monitored my account. This was the best decision I have ever taken and would advise young people to do the same,” says Sandile.

Then there’s Phumla – an ardent baker whose products make you forget all your worries. She started baking as a hobby while she was in high school. Before long, she started charging friends and family a small fee for her services. She saved a portion of her proceeds and is now the proud owner of a shiny new stove and reliable oven, that has allowed her to take more orders and grow her customer-base.

The Eswatini National Teachers Association (ENAT) is big on saving and has a well-established savings and credit cooperative to assist its members in this regard. ENAT President Mbongwa Dlamini says they believe their members need to be assisted to make sound financial decisions by being able to save their money and to be able to access it on rainy days.

“Saving money is a great way to manage personal finances and make your money grow in the long term. It is also good to prepare for unexpected expenses. We do not want our members to drown in debt by biting off more than they can chew, which is why we encourage the culture of saving so they can tap into their resources as and when the need arises,” Dlamini says.

Take a moment and think about your own money – you might think saving won’t work for you because you never have much left at the end of the month. Look no further – here are few tips that might help you.

• Say goodbye to debt

Debt robs you of your income! So, it’s about time you get rid of that debt. The fastest way to pay off debt is with the debt snowball method – this is where you pay off your debts in order from smallest to largest. Sounds kind of intense, right? Don’t worry, it’s more about behaviour change than numbers. Once your income is freed up, you can finally use it to make progress toward your savings goals.

• Buy generic

Hands down, one of the easiest ways to save money is to give name brands the boot. In most cases, the only thing that’s better about brand-name products is the marketing. I mean, look at that box! The logo is so fancy! And that’s about where it ends. Generic brands of medicine, staple food items like rice and beans, cleaning supplies and paper products cost far less than their brand-name, marked-up friends and they work just as well too.

• Save money automatically.

Did you know that you can save money without thinking about it? You can set up your bank account to automatically transfer funds from your checking account into a savings account every month. Get more information about this from your bank

• Spend extra or unexpected income wisely.

When you get a bonus, 13^th cheque, inheritance or tax refund, put it to good use. Do not spend it all. You can use some of it to pay an outstanding debt and then save, save, save.

• Reduce energy costs

You can save money on your electricity bill just by making a few tweaks to your home. Start with some simple things like taking shorter showers, fixing leaky pipes, washing your clothes in cold tap water, and installing LED lightbulbs.

• Sell everything that doesn’t bring you joy

Tidying expert and best-selling author Marie Kondo says we all need to declutter the things in our homes that we don’t need and are willing to let go of for the sake of our financial future. That vintage chair your aunt gave you? Sell it. That crystal vase you found at an antique shop? Sell it. You’d be surprised at how much clutter you have in your home that you don’t even use or think about. Save a chunk of the money that comes from that.

These are just a few tips on how you can get started. Remember: It really doesn’t matter how much money you make—what matters is how you spend and save the money you make.