1/ Over the years, Waceke, has received emails, phone calls, and all sorts of communication with questions about personal finance and the journey to financial freedom. She wants to
share some of these questions and answers with you.
A THREAD...
2/ Question: I am employed and want to transition into business. What business should I start? What should I prepare for?
Answer: No one can actually tell you what business to start. The right question is what problem can you solve? That's where opportunity is found.
3/ Look at what you are interested in solving or are passionate about that matches your interests, gifts, and resources. Don't pressure yourself to get it completely right the first time but taking the step is important even if it starts out as a side hustle.
4/ Be prepared to change how you spend money, as you may not immediately have a monthly salary. You will, however, realize that you can survive on a lot less than you think. You will also realize that you can do a lot more than you think, as you are not boxed into one role.
5/ Your character will evolve.
Have you been thinking of transitioning into business? Let me know in the comments.
Stories. The darling of the literary world. What would it be like if someone told you a story about money? Wait, not one but three stories on personal finance, well-woven to not only entertain but also educate? Look no further.
A THREAD...
2/ Waceke Nduati Omanga’s book, Making Cents: Real Conversations about Personal Finance (2019) is a book worthy of your bookshelf space or better still the one book you would want to be seen reading in all public places.
3/ The book’s cover might seem a little bit enigmatic- a chair for a book on personal finance. It is not that far off considering the last time you had a money problem(s); your instinctive reaction must have been to sit down and think through it.
1/ If you listen to children talking about school, they will often speak about their teachers. They speak about what their teacher told them to do or not to do. It becomes clear which teachers are having an impact on them.
A THREAD...
2/ I was sitting in a forum, where the speaker in a bid to break the ice, asked us who was our most impactful teacher. He asked us to give examples or stories about this teacher.
3/ It worked! This was a group of people aged between thirty and sixty and we all remembered incidences like they happened yesterday. Some could even directly attribute pursuing certain careers or arts because of a teacher.
1/ Your company pension fund will not fund your retirement. I could end this article right now having said that because that is the key message I would like readers to appreciate.
A THREAD...
2/ A lot of us are living life thinking that our retirement years are taken care of because we have a nice job with a pension. Others may be thinking that a “deal” will come along at some unspecified point in time in the future and sort this out.
3/ As part of the course I run, I do a module that helps people calculate how much it would cost to retire. The fact is many of us, if we do not seriously change our financial habits and mindset will not afford to retire.
1/ The fact that there was a traffic jam on a busy road at 4 pm really should not be a surprise. I could have planned my time better and left earlier.
A THREAD...
2/ We have financial traffic jams and we will get stuck if we continue treating them like a surprise. The holiday you want to go for in December is not a surprise. School fees is not a surprise. Plan for them early.
3/ Save up some money every month to be able to cater to these expenses that are coming up in the future. Otherwise, you will literally find yourself in a jam and get tempted to borrow for them.
WHY YOUR EMPLOYER IS NOT PAYING YOU MORE. 1/ Many people do blame their employer for the state of their finances. Every time I speak to people and ask them whom they think should resolve their money issues, the employer always comes up.
A THREAD
2/ Everyone thinks they should be paid more. I rarely meet people who are one hundred percent content with their income.
3/ I’m not saying you should not be compensated well but it does take two to tango. Many are complaining about their employer, fewer are asking themselves what they personally need to do to change the situation.
1/ Many people do blame their employer for the state of their finances.
A THREAD...
2/ Every time I speak to people and ask them whom they think should resolve their money issues, the employer always comes up. Everyone thinks they should be paid more.
3/ I rarely meet people who are one hundred percent content with their income. I’m not saying you should not be compensated well but it does take two to tango.