Have fun without draining your account

Can one ever have fun without spending a penny? Hardly! And can one have fun without spending a fortune? Certainly! In such a time when the recession is hitting hard on our pockets and every penny counts, one might need to consider using a modest budget and still have all the fun possible-it can happen. Charles Sebaruma, a lecturer of Economics at the Kigali School of Finance and Banking (SFB) says that the culture of planning and sticking to one’s priorities should be adopted as a solution to shopaholics. “Planning is not for big firms or ministries only, but even for individuals. Some people can’t pass a shop without looking out for anything to buy- even when they have stuff in plenty. Once a shopaholic has a rough budget and the courage to stick to his priorities, he will certainly use less money and end up saving money that could come in handy later.” Silvain Nganda, a gym trainer and proprietor of the Kinamba-Kigali based “Silva Sports” admits to partying wild when not in hard training, but never dries her account because as she avoids the irrationally expensive places. “Having fun is not about being around classy people or taking expensive liquors. You can have a lot more fun hanging out with comic friends at a place where beer sells at Rwf800 to Rwf1000 than renting a cab to join people you don’t even know, at a countryside cottage where the cheapest drink costs Rwf5000,” he said. “Families also have cheaper and probably more entertaining places their children can go to when there is no money to spend in amusement parks,” he says. “Within Kigali, there are gardens where families can pack drinks and snacks and have a merry time there together.” Instead of spending a lot of money buying theatre tickets, popcorn, sodas and those other treats that go along with the cinema, rent and watch a movie of your choice together and make your living room a 3D equipped cinema! Economists also recommend group visits - either as picnics or mere visits - as one way of cutting expenses. Here are the festive days once again, where all we do is spend. Okay, it surely is a time to be merry but don’t spend it all. Have a little something to start the New Year with. Try having fun with a reasonable budget (especially when you earn a reasonable salary) because you do not wish to celebrate one day then be sorry the other. emma.mprince@gmail.com Kicker“Once a shopaholic has a rough budget and the courage to stick to his priorities, he will certainly use less money and end up saving money that could come in handy later.” Ends