Not Every Season Is a Saving Season

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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“Beware the bareness of a busy life,” Socrates once said. But what about the loudness of a distracted one? From matatus blaring vulgar music, to church keshas echoing through residential estates, to restaurants where conversation is a fight against speakers—it seems Kenya has made noise the background of everyday life. But what is this obsession with sound? What is all this noise trying to drown out? Noise as Culture, But Also as Coping Let’s be clear: noise has always had a place in Kenyan culture. Luo benga, Kikuyu folk tunes, Luhya drumming, Swahili taarab… music and sound are part of celebration, spirituality, and storytelling. But what we’re experiencing now is different. What we’re hearing now is not cultural expression—it’s emotional avoidance. The Psychology of Noise: What Are We Running From? 1. Noise and Loneliness We live in a time of increasing isolation. Nairobi apartments are filled with single occupants. Friendships are transactional. Family members drift emo...

KenyaOnAShoeString: Real Advice for Real Kenyans

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