Perhaps one of the most overlooked privileges is not wealth itself, but having enough margin in your life to respond to reality. Over the last few years, we have become fluent in the language of privilege, speaking easily about financial privilege, pretty privilege, racial privilege, passport privilege, educational privilege and social privilege, and in doing so we have become increasingly aware that people do not all start from the same place and that some doors open more easily for some than for others. Yet there is one form of privilege that seems to receive far less attention, and that is the privilege of being able to do something with the information you have, not simply knowing, but acting, because the truth is that information alone changes very little. We like to imagine that if people only knew better, they would do better, and entire industries are built around this assumption, from self-help books and documentaries to podcasts, awareness campaigns, public health initiative...
In Kenya, saving is almost sacred. From the moment you earn your first salary, there’s an unwritten rule: save as much as you can, because you never know what tomorrow brings.
Jobs vanish overnight. Prices go up without warning. Rent can double, and so can your transport costs. Holding onto every coin feels like the only logical thing to do.
For many of us, that habit becomes a way of life. We are constantly preparing for the next emergency, the next layoff, the next unexpected bill. We save, we tighten our belts, we delay the things that bring joy — because it feels safer that way.
But what happens when life changes — when you move out, earn a little more, or finally start living more comfortably — and your mind still refuses to leave survival mode?
When Survival Turns Into Stability
A few months ago, I moved out of home. My rent more than doubled, and my expenses went up in every direction. My savings dropped drastically, and suddenly, I was doing the math for every small expense — including a Pilates class that felt both necessary and “too much.”
It felt wrong to spend that kind of money on something as “non-essential” as exercise or wellness. I kept hearing that little Kenyan voice whisper: “You should be saving that.”
And yet, for the first time in years, I was sleeping well. I could walk to work. I was eating better, breathing better, and actually feeling peaceful.
It took me months to realize that I wasn’t being reckless.
I was simply entering a different kind of season.
There Is a Season for Everything
We talk a lot about saving and investing, but we rarely talk about the seasons of money — or the seasons of life.
There are seasons for accumulation, and there are seasons for capacity-building. Sometimes, the best investment you can make isn’t in a savings account. It’s in your health, your peace of mind, and your ability to function well in the long run.
These other forms of capital compound just like money — quietly, and often faster.
Financial capital — the money you earn, save, and invest.
Health capital — your physical and mental well-being; the energy you bring to each day.
Social capital — the trust and relationships that open doors when you least expect it.
Knowledge capital — what you learn and how you grow; the skills that make you adaptable.
Reputation capital — how people remember your work ethic, reliability, and integrity.
You can be “broke” in one form of capital but rich in another. And if you nurture these other kinds long enough, they eventually convert into financial stability anyway.
The Fear That Keeps Us Saving
Of course, it’s not just about money — it’s about fear.
In a country where job security feels like a luxury, of course we hold our money tightly. We’ve seen too many people lose everything in a blink.
We’re not paranoid — we’re cautious.
But sometimes, we carry that caution too far, even when life finally gives us a little breathing room. We don’t know how to stop bracing for disaster.
That fear becomes so familiar that comfort feels suspicious. We call rest “laziness.” We call balance “wasteful.” We forget that stability is also meant to be lived.
Redefining Wealth
Wealth isn’t always a number on your M-Pesa balance.
Wealth is a quiet morning walk before work.
Wealth is sleeping through the night without church noise outside your window.
Wealth is peace, time, and energy to think clearly again.
Wealth is Pilates, or yoga, or that coffee you enjoy slowly instead of gulping down in a matatu.
When you stop seeing these things as indulgences and start seeing them as investments, life begins to expand again. You realize that living well is also part of living wisely.
Maybe This Isn’t the Saving Season
Maybe this season isn’t about massive savings or aggressive growth.
Maybe it’s about learning, healing, and finding your rhythm again.
You’re not wasting money by taking care of yourself — you’re laying the groundwork for the next version of you: stronger, calmer, and more capable.
There will be another season to save, invest, and grow wealth. But right now, maybe the goal is simply to be well enough to enjoy the life you’ve built.
Because not every season is a saving season —
and that’s perfectly okay.
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