How I Am Choosing To Let Go of My Hand For My Heart. #AfricaSaves
The year 2016 is almost complete and if you created a savings resolution at the beginning of the year I would like to ask you, how is that going? I’m guessing it’s not too great, right? The economy is also not helping, with rising food prices and salaries that haven't been increased. How would you like to get back on track with your savings goals? I definitely would!
Sometimes you just ask yourself where your money has gone, and when you sit down and think about it, you will realise you have spent more on eating out at restaurants and chewed pork at the pub than you even planned to do. You have fulfilled your instant gratification needs. Meanwhile you have dreams of saving towards something of high value in the future, which is a delayed gratification need. You have chosen to satisfy your hand versus satisfying your heart (heart vs hand).
Watch this video on the heart vs hand to understand more about your choices.
So what do you think? Are you a hand or heart after watching the video?
Short-term instant gratification doesn't bring long-term satisfaction or return, although it brings you a quick but short-lived pleasure. It only satisfies you for the now. Then there’s your delayed gratification, which will bring you long-term satisfaction but is so much more difficult to do.
I was saving towards my wedding as far back as early 2015, so when I got married, expenses towards the day were easily met. Weddings in Ghana aren't cheap. Saving and planning towards a budget-friendly wedding is more important than ever before!
We are going to embark on a two month saving goal of travelling to an island somewhere in Africa (location withheld). This goal is going include the cost of tickets, hotel or Airbnb stay and food. I wish I could go NOW! But it’s just one of those things that requires planning and saving, so I am compelled to be patient and work towards it which is perfectly doable.
Although I am not paid monthly like the average Ghanaian worker, which would make this a whole lot easier, I know this goal will be attainable thanks to the multiple streams of income I have created.
The savings campaign by Barclays will help you with useful savings tips and ideas.
This article is the first in a series of sponsored posts for the BARCLAYS SAVINGS CHALLENGE. I hope the challenge has been as interesting for you as it has been for me. You can follow the discussion on Twitter and Facebook and share your own experience by using the hashtag #AFRICASAVES.
Visit https://savings.africa.barclays/ for useful savings calculators and more information on savings accounts.
