I am 34, married with one child aged six, and I have two other children outside marriage who are twins aged eight. My wife is a stay-at-home mum. I am currently earning Sh68,000 net after getting a pay hike from Sh63,000. I don’t keep a budget but every day I leave Sh500 at home for my wife to manage the day’s meals. I also leave Sh2,000 every weekend for shopping. I pay rent Sh11,000, GoTV Sh2,600, airtime for me and my wife Sh2,000, power and water Sh2,000, mama fua Sh800 every Saturday, wife’s salon 3,000 per month, fees 5,000 per month, my other children’s mother 7,000 per month. I also squeeze in some money for beer with friends over weekends.
My long-term goals are to secure my three children’s education, even though I admit that I have not been as supportive with my other two children as I would like. Their mum has been threatening to take me to children’s court if I don’t increase my financial support. I would also like to own a vehicle and stop riding in my friends’ cars all the time. I also want to feel like a man. My mum also needs me to renovate her mud-house in the village and I estimate the cost will be around Sh500,000. So far, I have not been big on saving. I also have some minor mobile app debts, including MShwari. With my newly increased salary, how do I achieve these goals fast?
