Start with what really happens
Before you plan next month, look at last month. Scroll through your M-Pesa statement. Check your bank SMS alerts. Add up what you actually spent on rent, food, transport, airtime, and small treats. Don't judge yourself. You're just gathering facts.
Split your money into three simple buckets
These percentages are a starting point, not a law. If you earn KES 30,000 and rent alone takes 40%, adjust. The point is to see where your money goes.
- Needs (around 50%): rent, electricity, water, food, transport to work, school fees
- Wants (around 30%): outings with friends, streaming, salon, new clothes, takeaway
- Savings and debt (around 20%): chama, emergency fund, paying off loans
Leave room for chaos
Life comes with surprises like a funeral, a wedding harambee, or a sick relative. Set aside even KES 500 a month for "life happens" money. When it comes, you're ready. When it doesn't, that's a bonus for savings.
Check in once a week
Ten minutes on Sunday evening is enough. What did I spend? What's coming up? What needs to change?
The best budget is a kind one
It expects you to be human.