If you spend money on the things you really need, it is not a waste.
Without health insurance, many people are a major sickness away from poverty. So, why deny yourself pleasures because you have been told it is a waste?
Enjoy your life so that you can always say, I enjoyed myself. Instead of rigidity, apply the rule of 5, you allocate your total income to five key areas, sort of financing your “wheel of life” in a balanced way:
1) School fees for children, library subscription or books purchase, studies, 30% x your total monthly income (YTMI)
2) Savings and investment, 15% x YTMI
3) Medical bills or health insurance, 15% x YTMI
4) Living expenses (food, utilities, clothes, shelter, etc), 25% (so you don’t starve yourself) x YTMI
5) The essentials (rent, dependants support), 15% x YTMI. This is just a recommendation, adjust accordingly to what you value most.
If you earn say Ugx. 1m, reduce your appetite for chicken. However, once in a while, go and enjoy in moderation. If you spend the past 30% of your income on school fees, maybe you are taking your children to a school outside your class. Tone down!
Remember, self-driven children will thrive in any school you put them in. They are used to having their voice heard. They will break the glass ceiling and claim their rightful place despite the odds. Don’t break your back. Water finds its own level in any container it is placed. It is just a matter of time.
