Tighten your belt

With the current credit crunch which most of us don’t understand, the whole world has been negatively affected. The consumer is of course worse affected by this because commodity prices are going up yet the salaries are not increased. This inevitably makes the cost of leaving higher. Life, despite the credit crunch, has to go on and one has to continue consuming products, meaning that we need to try and spend less for the same things. First of all, most of us buy things we don’t really need but just want to have. You go to the supermarket and just pick up items because you have the money. Ann Kaitetsi, a housewife is one of the spendthrifts. “I never plan my shopping, I just buy whatever is missing whenever I pass by the supermarket,” she explains. Spendthrifts may not survive with the current economic crunch. You need to plan and know how much you are spending. Plan your shopping and start by making a list of your priorities. Items that you cannot do without, for example food stuffs, clothing and house utilities like water and electricity bills should be prioritised. Once you have your list then you can go shopping. Remember to buy only the items on the list. Do not be tempted to buy anything useless since you carried just enough money and not more. Sticking to the budget will help you save some much needed money. Large sums of money that could be saved are also spent on eating out. Since most people work, you find that you have to buy your lunch which can be costly. Try to pack food at least thrice a week and also reduce on the number of times you eat out. Fuel prices have increased greatly with the economic crisis and many people are finding it hard to keep up with their cars. You can give your car a rest to save on fuel costs and only use it only when you must. You will spend less than Rwf1,000 on transport when you use public transport, many times less than you spend on fuel. Electric appliances for example fridges, cookers, TVs, radios and bulbs consume a lot of power and money and yet we need them to have a stress free life. So how do we use these and still remain with our limits? When not in use, appliances should be switched off and plugged out of the sockets. This ensures that no power is wasted when the appliance is not in use thus saving on income. With these few tips you should be able to go through this financial crisis painlessly and also enjoying all of life’s pleasures. Contact: jacksotum@yahoo.com