Page 74 - SACCO STAR ISSUE 43

Exhale...
with Thuku Kamau
WHY DOES
PAYING BACK
A LOAN HURT?
I hate paying back loans! No, I will
not be polite and use a verb like
despise.
Hate! The feeling is that strong.
But ooh! How I love taking them.
I budget for all the money before it hits chicken coop at my parent’s home
my bank and when it does, I relish in the in Kiriani, Nyeri. I took a loan of Ksh
thought of withdrawing it and spending
it.
Despite having a budget, I always end
up spending my money in a different
way the fact that i am freelance
marketer , without a steady income
notwithstanding.
The first thing I do when I get a loan
is treat myself to a sumptuous meal. I
like Java, the less crowded one along
Harambee Avenue. I then proceed
to order for creamy garlic mushroom
chicken and fries. I wash it down with a
vanilla latte milkshake. The thought of
this meal now just makes me hungry.
This sets me back by Ksh 2,000.
On this day, I don’t walk home. I take an
Uber and get chauffeured while seating
on the back left seat like a boss. A trip
72| SACCO Star Magazine
to my house in Kikuyu at peak hours is
Ksh 1,200. That day, I spend the night
watching a nice movie. By the time
the sun rises, issues usually crop up
and I end up spending the money on
something different from its intent.
Last month, I decided to set up a
50,000 against my savings. This was
easy to access as I did not require
any guarantors. I did my usual, had a
delicious lunch at Java and took an Uber
home to go watch my movie. Whilst on
my way home, I was browsing through
my phone when I came across an advert
from a tour and travels company to visit
Diani for 5 days at Ksh 25,000.
The view of the ocean was calling me.
I thought about how good it would be
to take a nice rest and the idea could
not stop being in my mind. I shared the
idea with my girlfriend and she got quite
excited. I was angling at the idea of us
cost sharing when she quickly chipped
in that she was very broke. Darn! Why
do women always claim to be broke?
I digress. As the good boyfriend I am, I
decided to treat her to the trip, solely
because I couldn’t enjoy if I went for the
trip alone…
By the time I came from the trip, I had
not only depleted the loan but also my
savings. My house was locked as I had
not paid rent that month. I took loans
from three different apps to pay my
bills and sustain myself before the end
month…
In a nutshell, 5 months on, I am
not only listed as a defaulter at the
Credit Reference Bureau but with the
arguments I have been having with my
girlfriend, I am sure she is set to leave
me soon.
I hope the weather will be warmer
then…