Power of saving

Many are the times most of us have blamed our leaders for not providing us with enough resources to carter for our needs and wants.

Such is the order of life that most Malawians seem to think the genesis of all their problems is in the hands of some politicians and there seems to be no end in the tendency of rushing to our elected officials to provide solutions to problems that are supposed to be private affairs.

Sometimes, we have even gone further to criticise them for our failure to save enough.

But this is the burning question: Have we ourselves embraced the culture of saving at individual or household level?

I am certain not many Malawians have made a culture of saving part of their prevalent habits. 

When many people hold money in their hands, it is clear the first thing they think of is what they will buy with what they have.

They always want to spend it all at once.

As years pass, this vicious cycle of spending goes on and on.

They fluff away all their income without making any savings to finance several investments that could uplift their families and lives.

Saving money is important.

It is useful to develop a culture of saving while we are still young.

One does not need a lot of money to start saving. The little one has is enough to save up an amount for future benefits.

The savings might not necessarily benefit you as an individual, but they may help carter for future needs of one’s household.

In my adolescence, I had heard of a young man who had saved some money and invested it in a fixed deposit account with one of the banks for more than ten years.

With interests accruing from the account, the man left millions of fortunes for his children.

When he died, his family did not suffer the hardships that being orphaned often entails.

He had prepared well not only for himself, but also for his family’s future.   

If you and I saved K100 per day, we would have saved at least K3 000 each by the end of the month.

In a year, we would have saved about K36 000.

If there are three individuals in your household, then collectively you will have saved almost K108 000 a year.

This is a lot of money. If used wisely, it could be used to better not only your household but also of those that are in critical need of help.  The sum saved could be invested in a fixed account to accumulate interests.

It could also be used as start-up capital for small-scale businesses we have always wanted to venture into which could grow into large multinational companies should they be managed well.

From these companies, more people will be employed, massive youth unemployment will be reduced, livelihoods and the country’s ailing economy will improve.

Saving truly has the power to improve our economic well-being and help us and generations meet our future needs.

But develop the desired appetite to save today. Invest in your future and generations to come.  Tomorrow may be too late. n