Bafethu, z’hlobo zami, vadikani vangu…if there’s one thing you can do for yourself in this life, it’s to have money. I am not talking about millions, no, baby; I am not delusional. But imali is where it’s at.

Recently, I went out with my #BFF and somewhere between the food, the drinks (oh the drinks) and the general enjoyment, we looked at each other and realised: Ha Weh Mah! we have grown financially.

This is a friend I used to meet in town and our idea of a good time was eating chips because, well, chips were what the budget allowed. We were also the kind of friends who would hit the clurrrrb with absolutely no money to our names and somehow still have the time of our lives. Or standing by the alcohol aisle and calculate every cent to buy a cheap bottle of Nikolai…if you are judging us right now, there is everything wrong with you because drinking cheap alcohol is a part of this journey.  

Those days were fun and also necessary for character development 🤣

But sitting there at that restaurant that day, being able to order what we wanted without calculating every dollar? That hit different.

Did we weigh percentage against price? Yes, hell yes! Because I refuse to pay izizumbulu zemali for something with less percentage.

There is a very specific joy in having enough money to enjoy yourself without constantly calculating the consequences.

When you have a little more financial breathing room, you realise how much energy you used to spend thinking about money.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I still check my bank balance. I am not Bhiyonse. But there is a difference between checking your balance because you are responsible and checking it because you are trying to figure out whether you can afford the next three days.

And perhaps the nicest part isn’t even the spending. It’s the realisation of progress.

Because as we sat there, we started talking about how different life looks now. We have gone from chips in town and broke-girl club nights to making actual plans, plans that require real money. 

Will we still budget? Obviously. We are adults, not idiots. But there is something lovely about knowing that you can experience something beautiful and enjoy yourself without feeling like you’ve committed a financial crime afterwards. A special mention to the guy I share my home WiFi with who enables me. 

I think sometimes we are so focused on the next goal that we forget to look around and appreciate what has already changed.

The salary increase. The better job. The savings. The ability to pay for something without asking yourself which other bill you have to sacrifice. The random dinner. The trip you can actually afford (even after sweating blood to afford it).

Those little things are evidence. Evidence that you are not where you used to be.

And maybe that’s what I loved most about that day. It wasn’t really about the money. It was about sitting across from someone who knew me when we were making a plan out of a packet of chips and realising that we are doing alright, babes.

We may not have millions, or even thousands. We may not be buying Barbados…but we have little room for options now.

And options are nice. Money is nice.

Having enough money to enjoy the life you’re working so hard to build? Top tier. 

NB: Please do not let this blog post be the reason you do illegal sh*t, I will not be held responsible.

Love & light 🧡