{"id":53936,"date":"2025-04-18T16:46:43","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T16:46:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/how-to-build-money-habits-that-stick-with-kigali-flair\/"},"modified":"2025-04-18T16:43:42","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T16:43:42","slug":"how-to-build-money-habits-that-stick-with-kigali-flair","status":"publish","type":"opinion","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/opinion\/how-to-build-money-habits-that-stick-with-kigali-flair\/","title":{"rendered":"How to build money habits that stick with Kigali flair"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re dodging moto taxis in Kimironko or running your beauty salon in Remera, money has this sneaky habit of disappearing faster than airtime during a gossip call. One minute it\u2019s there, the next\u2014puff\u2014gone. But why?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s rewind to January\u2014you know, back when we were still full of hope, life plans, and printed vision boards from Instagram templates.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my year to save, invest, and level up!\u201d we said.<\/p>\n

Well… Q2 just tapped us on the shoulder like, \u201cYoh, how\u2019s that going?\u201d<\/p>\n

For me, it all started with an episode of The Boss Lady Africa. Just Ivy Africa was talking about self-sabotaging money habits. I had my earbuds in, minding my own business, until she said something that hit me harder than a \u201cyou up?\u201d text from your broke ex.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when it clicked: if any of my Pinterest-inspired financial goals were going to happen, I needed to do the real work and get honest about my money habits. So I did what any curious person would do\u2014I started asking my friends awkward questions about their finances. And oh, did things get juicy!<\/p>\n

One friend didn\u2019t miss a beat:
\n\u201cI don\u2019t get paid enough to manage my money well.\u201d
\nMa\u2019am. Sir. Beloved. The paycheck might be small, but the damage is mighty.<\/p>\n

Another friend, a champion of budget-dodging, pivoted faster than a motard at a roadblock:
\n\u201cBudget? Hmm… have you considered starting another side hustle?\u201d
\nNice deflection, Delphine.<\/p>\n

But then came the brave one. The one who staged what I now call \u201cThe Budget Intervention\u201d in a caf\u00e9:<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go through your budget,\u201d they said.
\nI nearly dropped my phone.
\nAttacked? Yes.
\nExposed? 100%.
\nRelieved? Weirdly, also yes.<\/p>\n

For the first time, I wasn\u2019t just hoping money would magically behave\u2014I had a plan.
\nDid I follow it? Of course not. I\u2019m a proud, card-carrying member of the \u201cavoid it and it will go away\u201d club.<\/p>\n

But hey, awareness is the first step, right?<\/p>\n

{{From village mindset to victory mindset
\n}}<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a spicy truth: Everyone wants to be in a village, but no one wants to be a villager.<\/p>\n

We want support systems, accountability partners, and community\u2014but are we showing up for that same community? Are we building what we\u2019re desperate to belong to?<\/p>\n

Same applies to money. Everyone wants to be \u201cfinancially free,\u201d but few of us are willing to do the slow, unsexy work of financial literacy. We dream of glow-ups without the grind. Of \u201crich auntie energy\u201d without reading a single article about savings accounts.<\/p>\n

Well, buckle up. Let\u2019s diagnose your money personality, Rwandan-style.<\/p>\n

{{The money personality quiz you didn\u2019t know you needed
\n}}<\/p>\n

{{Impulse spender
\n}}<\/p>\n

Your brain: \u201cThis bag is so cute.\u201d
\nYour wallet: \u201cHa! We have rent.\u201d
\nThat coffee from Rubia every morning? Those \u201cjust a small treat\u201d days? They add up. Suddenly, you\u2019re wondering why you\u2019re skipping your cousin\u2019s dowry ceremony\u2014it\u2019s because you spent that cash on a scented candle.<\/p>\n

{{Bougie on a budget
\n}}<\/p>\n

You\u2019re living champagne dreams on an Amstel budget. IG makes you think you deserve the lifestyle\u2014fine dining, imported skincare, luxury loungewear\u2014yet your account is screaming, \u201cMwafashije koko!\u201d<\/p>\n

{{Budget avoider
\n}}<\/p>\n

Budget? That thing you say you\u2019ll start every Sunday but instead binge The Residence? Yeah. You\u2019ve ghosted your budget harder than your sneaky ex.<\/p>\n

{{Financially illiterate (But cute)
\n}}<\/p>\n

You think investing is for men in suits or people who earn more than 1M a month. Wrong.
\nIf you\u2019ve ever handled a household, run a small biz, or simply tried to make RWF 10,000 stretch for two weeks\u2014you are already doing finance. Now imagine doing it smarter.<\/p>\n

So now that we\u2019ve dragged ourselves, let\u2019s get to the fun part: the glow-up.<\/p>\n

{{Make a budget
\n}}<\/p>\n

Think of budgeting as writing a love letter to your future self.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear Me in December, I wanted you to have money for the holiday trip. So I skipped the 3-drink outing with friends this week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Start tracking everything. That airtime top-up? The RWF 1,000 you sent for a WhatsApp group contribution?<\/p>\n

Write. It. Down.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a simple starter formula:<\/p>\n

50% for needs<\/p>\n

30% for wants<\/p>\n

20% for savings or paying off debts<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t make it work? That\u2019s your cue to earn more\u2014or spend less. Probably both.<\/p>\n

{{Set goals that don\u2019t scare you
\n}}<\/p>\n

Start small. Save 100K and open that BK Capital Aguka Fund. Build a 50K emergency stash.
\nBaby steps are still steps\u2014and they\u2019re way better than standing still.<\/p>\n

{{Invest in yourself
\n}}<\/p>\n

Not with more clothes. I mean learning.Take a free budgeting class. Listen to podcasts like Africa\u2019s Pocket or Money Movers Society. Ask questions. ChatGPT things. Your dream lifestyle starts with your current habits.<\/p>\n

{{Own your money
\n}}<\/p>\n

Money is a tool. Don\u2019t let it use you. If you want financial freedom, you need to make money your employee\u2014not your master. And no, the salary fairy isn\u2019t coming unless you invite her by showing up, asking for more, learning more, and choosing better.<\/p>\n

It won\u2019t always be pretty. Some days you\u2019ll feel like the next Dangote. Other days, you\u2019ll be in your kitchen, eating rice and beans and wondering why you spent all your food money at a brunch in Kiyovu.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n

Growth isn\u2019t linear. It\u2019s messy. It\u2019s personal. Sometimes it involves saying no to night-outs and yes to financial peace. Sometimes it means talking to friends about money\u2014even when it\u2019s awkward.<\/p>\n

But every single time you choose clarity over confusion, discipline over delay, and ownership over avoidance, you\u2019re rewriting your money story.<\/p>\n

So, what habit are you breaking this month?<\/p>\n

\"Whether<\/figure>\n

{{ {The writer is a senior copywriter based in Kigali.
\n} }}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let’s be honest: money talks, but sometimes it sounds like it’s speaking Lemerig, and you’re just there, nodding politely, understanding nothing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000085930,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[75],"byline":[3108],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-53936","opinion","type-opinion","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinions","tag-homenews","byline-josepha-mafubo"],"bylines":[{"id":3108,"name":"Josepha Mafubo","slug":"josepha-mafubo","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"contributors":[{"id":3108,"name":"Josepha Mafubo","slug":"josepha-mafubo","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"featured_image":{"id":2000085930,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/a-client-using-atm-to-withdraw-his-money-in-kigali_1_.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/a-client-using-atm-to-withdraw-his-money-in-kigali_1_.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/a-client-using-atm-to-withdraw-his-money-in-kigali_1_.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/a-client-using-atm-to-withdraw-his-money-in-kigali_1_.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/a-client-using-atm-to-withdraw-his-money-in-kigali_1_.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/a-client-using-atm-to-withdraw-his-money-in-kigali_1_.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opinion\/53936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opinion"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/opinion"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opinion\/53936\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000085930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53936"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=53936"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=53936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}