At some point in our lives, we have, one way or another, made a big financial mistake, either by investing in something that went sideways or by just spending particular money without a budget; however, the best financial decision I have taken so far is not even close to starting a business or investing in something big. But it was a standing order I made with my OPay bank, which I have been using since 2019, where some percentage of every alert I received would be going straight into my savings account before I could even open my main balance to see how much I have left.
This method came to my mind after several notifications. But I told my bank about that new innovation, and my spending patterns weren't even helping because I noticed that if A comes to me for help, I give it, and the same with B too. Because opening my bank and seeing the little available balance I have is like I have gotten plans for the money already in a way that some goes into data, food, and transport, giving an urgent 2k even when it is not urgent. So, me seeing that available balance is always doing some chemistry in my head that willpower alone never fixed; it has now made all the Naira in my account spendable simply because I have access to it easily.
Funny thing, I have told my mother that method too because she is a big trader and the money will be available to her to collect at the exact time she has set it to. However, before I even opened my bank, one transfer happened automatically, so that percentage savings deposit I have set aside has now stopped existing in my mental math entirely. I have been able to have like savings and giving and spending unnecessarily.
It's been a while since I have been doing this now; it has been so helpful. I no longer become some people's emergency contact, and I am free to use the money after it has been unlocked for the right things that I have planned.
This whole money situation didn't even surprise me, but what got me surprised was getting to know that discipline has never been a problem for me. My spending habit and always being a good samaritan were the actual problem, removing from the equation what discipline alone has failed to do for a long time.
Thank you for reading.
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