The importance of saving cannot be overemphasized. Many times, I have heard people say, “Save for rainy days.” Well, what happens when it rains the very next day? What happens when you set a certain percentage of your money aside for unseen circumstances and then the very next day, those “unseen circumstances” knock on your door, wearing pajamas and a black hat. Growing up, I learnt the art of saving at a very young age, courtesy of my dad. When it comes to saving, my parents lived in separate worlds. My mom, a salary earner had no savings as she spent all on household expenses—and then one thing would lead to another. Before you know it, she's spent all her money. My dad, on the other hand, is a big-time saver. Unlike my mom who is a salary earner, my dad is a businessman—meaning he earns profits from his business every day. And every day when he comes home, he makes sure he saves something in his piggy bank, no matter how small.
I became interested in this aspect of my dad because whenever he came back from work and wanted to put money in his piggy bank, he'd call me and I'd watch as he did it, and sometimes he'd let me do it. Since then, I've tried to follow in his footsteps. I remember when my mom also got me a clay-molded piggy bank and I started saving – I was in junior high school at the time. So, I'd say I've been interested in saving from a very young age. However, as I grew older, I realized something different: it's difficult to save as an adult. As kids, we had no bills to settle – water bills, electricity, and food were all taken care of by our parents. But as adults, the responsibility falls on our shoulders, making it harder to save.
I used to struggle to save—especially when I had responsibilities . I'd finally manage to save and tell myself that “this money is for when things get difficult.” and then boom! The next moment, things get difficult. Suddenly, bills come out of nowhere. Whether it is to buy a new book, an expensive form or pay an unnecessary fee. You spend the money you saved for rainy days and before you know it, you are back to square one. Over time, I have realized that saving money is not just about putting it away, it is also about discipline—the strength ability to protect the money, especially from myself.
One thing I started doing is locking my money—far from reach. About 2 years ago, I started using platforms that don’t allow me touch my money for a set number of months. It is not always easy, especially when life starts pulling tricks. But it is the only way I have been able to save. I also do this on Hive. About a year ago, I started stacking up HBD and locking in savings. While this hasn't been easy, it has helped me in many ways.
In conclusion, saving is an art that requires discipline and it is up to individuals to choose what works best for them. For me, I have discovered that locking my money on platforms helps me save better.
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