Kenya can teach you a lot if you pay close attention. I'm putting up this blog because I need to account for my weekly spending. I'm not giving advice on how to spend/save that paper. I fall under the OPM group, one that relies on funding from sources other than self (if you're parents pay your school fees, wewe ni member pia). I'm hoping to show financial growth/stability over time by living within my means. That said, let me kick off with last weekend's clubbing.
Saturday happen to be a friend's birthday. It was to start at Sankara and find its way to Frankies lounge, along Ngong rd. The money I had was hardly sufficient. I had decided not to drink too much as I had had a few over the past 2 days. For the light-weight, one needs about Kshs.1500 to at least be able to cater for oneself (transport and alcohol included). I turned to my financier for help as I had only Kshs.450 on me. After much convincing, I got Kshs.500. It was certainly better than my previous amount. Getting a mat at 2230hrs heading into town is as rare as a 97 bob fueling station. I managed to find one though, and briskly made my way into Mwendas upon arrival.
Current balance: Kshs.900
One of my pals showed up a bit later with some grub...at Mwendas. Anyone who's drank alcohol knows you need a properly lined stomach BEFORE you indulge, and he did just that. Lucky for me, I took care of that while at home. We were getting late to the party and transport was going to be an issue. Our only options were to either spend Kshs.300 and make it to the party broke, or risk our lives for Kshs.40 mat at Railways. So we took a walk and somehow ended up at Dolce. We had seen a very familiar car parked outside the lounge. Turns out there's 2 doors to get by. Entrance 2 sees you part with Kshs.400 each *insert stroke*. Why would we do this you ask? All I can say is that the car held lots of potential for the both of us...pronounced: free ride.
Current balance: Kshs.500
Our venture wasn't as successful as planned. Luckily, two more friends showed up right outside the lounge. With more people available it became easier for us to take a cab to Frankies for a total of Kshs.300. The trip saw me part with a third of that total.
Current balance: Kshs.400
This lounge can only be termed as revolutionary. Well spaced seating, open space plan, excellent lighting and free flow of OXYGEN make it a must visit. The crowd was lively, music was good and there was plenty of OXYGEN going round. It definitely left much to be desired. Sad to say, I didn't have much to spend that night. Didn't mean I couldn't have fun though. I danced a bit, socialized and even attempted cooling of a fight-in-the-making. Twas a good night all-in-all. My friends and I (7 people in total), took a cab home for a total of Kshs.1500, an advantage of car pooling might I add.You've got to learn how to bargain for cab drives and 'brokeness' is one hell of a motivator! The next morning saw me spend about Kshs.150 on transport from my friend's place in Thika to Kiambu. I bought a few edibles in the morning too.
Current balance: Kshs.50
Of course, I hadn't drink at all the previous night and was lucky enough to get a bottle of water to keep me hydrated. The poverty line for non-drinkers going it alone comes to about Kshs.1000 and Kshs.1500 for those that do. Over a period of one year, the totals come to Kshs.52000 and Kshs.78000 respectively. Evaluate your drinking. Is it a need or a want?
