JUST BRENDA: My wife and I learnt the hard way to plan our finances
Dear Brenda,
I read your article this week about the woman who wants to save her family from financial ruin. Honestly, it felt like you were talking about me–in a way.
My wife and I have been in an almost similar predicament, but in our case both of us were a bit careless with matters finance. We both had high paying jobs, lived in a good neighbourhood and our children went to good private schools. We saved, yes, but never invested much except for a small house upcountry and both our side hustles. And generally, we were living the good life.
Then Covid hit! Within a few months, we were almost in distress having lost most of our sources of income and we really dug into our savings. We realised things could get really bad really fast. We made extreme changes to our lifestyle. It has taken a lot of will and collaboration to survive and I’m here to say it can work, especially when both partners are in sync.
We are now not spending as much, and we got tips online and in financial articles. We have considerably reduced our debt, though we still have quite a bit to clear. My wife and I discussed the advice you gave the lady on getting a financial adviser and a counsellor, and we are planning to do this. We have survived so far but we don’t ever want to be in distress again; we want to make things better for us, our children and our future. Thank you.
Grateful reader.
Dear grateful reader,
Thank you for your email. I am happy that the article gave you some insight and you have taken further steps to improve your wellbeing.
Kudos on the steps you already took after the Covid hit, and kudos to you and your wife on working on your financial management together. Your unity will help keep both of you grounded, and hopefully give you the life you want together.
May you find the help you need to improve your financial situation.
You haven’t indicated what you have done/ are currently doing to remedy your situation, but I wish to suggest that even as you source for a financial adviser, you sit down and plan your goals together–if you haven’t already done so.
And, as a side note, make it a point to also financially empower your children from a young age–nobody is ever too young or too old to learn good financial management skills.
May your determination for a better life make it happen. All the best.
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