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NEVER GIVE UP

Good day, it’s been a while since my last post… Hope you are doing great all is going on well as per your 2019 plans.

Today I come to you with something I have experienced in these few months I have been offline. I have met people good and bad, I have been through some situations I wouldn’t want to go back to worse and much worse. But I thank God I have managed to overcome them and I believe it was a stage I needed to pass through. Now I am back on my feet and things are getting better. I again thank God for that.

Many people I come across ask me how I got through it. I tell them perseverance and never giving up was my motto. My early regret were waking up and thinking of what is going to happen to me or my two boys. Still at a very tender age, they can’t support themselves and no one to look up to. This gave me more focus to wake up with a reason. I said to myself, they need me and I need them more, they are the reason for my existence, they should not suffer because of my laziness. Then I find myself up by 4 pm thinking of what I am going to do for the day and how I am supposed to make them survive my atrocities. The Lord is good he always found a way for us each day and now we are here celebrating His Glory.

By telling my life story, I am driving to something that we should always live with all our lives, when you feel lost, trust in God, when you see nothing coming your way, trust in His process and most importantly NEVER GIVE UP.

I have not given up and I am now enjoying the fruits of my efforts. If I had given up at some point, I wouldn’t be where I am and I would be regretting why I gave up so easily and I wouldn’t want my boys to see me as a failure. I want them to see me as their role model.

Today my message to you is never give up, never give up, NEVER GIVE UP.

LET ME HAVE YOUR COMMENTS ON WHAT YOUR STORY IS. AND DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE.

Corporate Professionals heading for entrepreneurship - Happy New Year.

Happy New Year, By now you may have already jotted down your resolutions and you have the right vision where this year is taking you and how your want it to manifest.

Today I want to speak to the people who have an entrepreneurial resolution this new year. I have put together some tips for you to take home with you when you are ready for that start up.

You must be the kind of person who is tired of the 9 to 5 Job but you are still adamant if you want to go for the entrepreneur world or stay in the corporate world. My advise to you is you can do both.

Work for your paycheck 9 to 5 and work on your fortune from 6 to midnight. After you make enough that can sustain for at least six months, fire your boss.

Entrepreneurship is sweet, the sound of being your own boss comes with great responsibility. Its not an overnight success. You have to put in the work. So before you decide to fire your boss make sure that your start up is off the ground.

Here are some Tips for you to take home if you are looking at being your own boss this year.

1. Embrace your inner focus and critical skills, make sure your niche is what you are really focused on and bring on that entrepreneurial spirit to life. Focus is very important in this aspect. So I insist focus.
2. Never stop learning, find something new to read about your niche, do some research, ensure you are covered in all corners of your business in case of any what ifs. We call it risk management. More knowledge is always the key. Abreast yourself with new great ideas that will set you apart from your competition.
3. Don't calculate your success, calculate the risks, look at what you investing verses the time you spending, then you will know if this is set for success or not. Success is calculated with time spent and efforts invested. Expect to rip what you sow.
4. Customer feedback is very crucial, as the saying goes, the customer is always right and he is rather the owner of your business. Make sure you handle complaints very well as a customer can make you or break you.
5. I can't wind up the tips without mentioning pricing. ensure that the quality of service you are providing is up to the standards of your target clients. That way your pricing will tell if what you are delivering is worth the price.

Those are just a few of the many tips that are there for a new startup or a corporate professional thinking of routing to entrepreneurship. You are in this by yourself but just know you are not alone.

If you have more advise for startups please put them down in the comment box and lets help a soul.

Like,, share, comment and subscribe.

Feedback please I always want to hear from you.

See you soon.

Managing your money using technology

You may have a full-time job, a side hustle or two, a family probably a single mother or married and endless responsibilities, managing your money can become an overwhelming activity to handle. That’s exactly why people find themselves living one paycheck every month and ending up broke wondering where their money went. That being the case, due to lack of Money Management.

When you don’t know where to start, it can seem overwhelming especially when you are planning for a big purchase or saving for rainy days to weather emergencies. During my researches about money I came across these hacks especially about how you can manage your money using technology. Don’t worry you may not have been good in math or accounting during your school days; you don’t have to balance any checkbooks or balance sheets.  Phew!!! What a relief…

These hacks will help you manage your money and also give you the guidance on where to stash it as you save more and move along smoothly with your life using technology. 

• Make sure you know exactly what you earn and spend

Before you start managing your money, make sure you track everything, absolutely everything from what you earn to what you spend. You don’t have to walk around with a pen and notepad to note everything, you will look abnormal; instead use your smart phone; in your play or app store you will find many useful money management apps you can use to do the tracking for you. I have also started using the Money Manager.There are several of them but I find this useful. It’s a free download allowing users to track their finances effectively. 

• Create a budget and be strict with each spending limit set

Once you have a clear picture of your full income and what you spend on a daily basis, while using the Money Manager, use that information to create your weekly, monthly or annual budget. Make sure you prioritize your expenses. Don’t make entertainment your top priority; it can come in at a later stage. You can start with your static expenses such as rent, school fees, medicare, utilities etc, and those expenses that can’t be compromised. Add those up and subtract the total from your monthly take home, see what you are left with then decide on what’s the next important item you need for the month. Lay off the others and stick to the set limit. 

• Be a save monger

When it comes to long-term financial health, there is nothing more important than creating a budget where your savings occupy the biggest stash between expense and recreation. You need to think of saving as the only way out for your rainy days. To increase your savings rate without feeling the pinch, I recommend you save an extra 3% off your monthly income for a period of 3 months. Every after three months stash away 80% of those savings to a retirement account where you won’t have access to withdraw it at any time. Or you can stash the 80% in stocks where you will get returns after a very long period of time.

The remaining 20% is very important for your rainy days (emergencies) this will give you peace of mind. 

Mind the interest with the banks when opening a saving account or you can find an online savings account to use. 

• Use Cash cards/ Prepaid Cards

Every bank now owns a cash card but all serve the same purpose, look out on the transaction charges, maintenance charges and transfer charges. They are cards without a bank account; they are not linked to your bank account. You get to load the exact amount you want to use for a particular period of time. They are shopping, retreat and travel friendly, meaning you can use them anywhere you go stress free with minimal charges on any transactions. Some may have loyalty benefits that tag along with them say a 15% discount off your dinner at Serena Hotel or shopping online, it makes a great difference than if you had used hard cash. These cards are safe and can be renewed in case lost or expired. My recommendation so far the best in the market is the UBA Visa prepaid card. You can get it instantly.

• Invest for your future

You need to take heed when investing especially if it’s your first time. I know you are now saying how can I start, what if it fails, what if they are conmen, what if they are eyeing my hard earned cash? All these and more what ifs will come into your mind, but you won’t know if it will work out unless you take the risk.

I suggest you diversify your investing techniques, putting all your eggs in one basket you know what happens! Spread your investments across many stocks; maintain a diversified portfolio even if you have less to invest. There are many areas that need investment without you lifting a finger while your money works for you. Buying stocks, lending your money in clubs, agriculture etc. the key to successful investing is diversification. So go on and invest. Take the risk.

Once you have mastered these hacks your life will become much easier in terms of your financial health. Try them out and let me know. lukomaasociates@gmail.com

Subscribe, tag a friend who needs this, share and let’s save the world as we adapt to the technology trends.  

WAYS TO SPEND LESS THIS CHRISTMAS AND AVOID A FINANCIAL HANGOVER IN THE NEW YEAR

Planning your finances this Christmas will help you enjoy not only the festive season’s celebrations, but the New Year too

Everyone loves Christmas but nobody wants to end their festive season with a painful financial hangover.

It is starting to look like Christmas and all we can think of is how it’s going to be, what you will wear for the church service, your children, what they will wear. What’s for the menu? (The most essential part during the festive season, in my view of course. If you are like me, I will require to complete my menu with a juicy chicken thigh😋😋😋) Now, if you are planning to travel to the village for Christmas that’s another budget all together. What gifts you will give for Christmas? Who will receive the gifts? 

Many questions are coming into your mind and you are overwhelmed. And when you look at the savings you have put aside for the festive season, it's basically not enough. You will probably be looking at getting a soft loan from a friend or at the office or a loan shark. It’s just not enough and it can never be enough. 

Don’t wait to brace yourselves for the subsequent financial shock, when your debtors knock on your door in the first week of the New Year. Remember you are starting a new year and you don’t want to start it on the wrong foot with unrecorded debts.

Overindulging in food and drink is so often matched by overdoing our spending, with the result that the first part of the New Year turns into a damage repair exercise for our budgets.

I will fill you in on what I will do on my part; hopefully you can pick a thing or two to help you turn your Christmas into a financial success rather than financial excess.

• Plan Ahead.

As the saying goes “a failure to plan is a plan to fail,” and when it comes to the holidays, truer words were never spoken. Taking just a few minutes early in the season to set a budget, plan your menus, and determine your priorities can be the difference between memories to last a lifetime and a holiday you’d simply like to forget. Planning ahead is especially important when it comes to a lot of things.

First, draw up a budget for your Christmas spending; not just for presents, but the additional spending on food, drink and socializing.

Coordinate this Christmas element of your budget within the rest of the household budget; so that you can manage the overall effect Christmas spending has on your finances over a number of months. Spend what you have planned for and stick to that. 

• Use the loyalty cards

Those who ignore these loyalty cards during your shopping you could start thinking of this one more time. From my experience these loyalty cards are a great savior during this season. You may not notice it but every time you make your shopping say at Nakumatt, Shoppers or any other supermarkets or stores with a loyalty cards, you give your card to the teller and she swipes it before entering the items you have bought, the total amount you pay comes back to you in points and these points can be redeemed to pay for your glossaries the next time you have less cash on you. 

You can decide not to redeem your points for the whole year and use them to help finance your Christmas spending. So don’t take these loyalty cards for granted go on and get one they are for free though some stores decide on which spender to award them with the loyalty cards. 

• Start shopping early enough

Start shopping early enough to avoid the high season prices. We know the horror of last minute Christmas shopping. Starting early gives you more options and more time to decide what to get. You may even have the luxury of shopping around!

Beat the crowd and start early this will also prevent you from throwing money to the problem when you don’t get what you want hence spending much unexpectedly. 

• Sell, sell, sell

It's simple commerce, really. If everyone's buying, it's a good time to sell. Is your house full of things you don't need (like unwanted Christmas presents and unused exercise equipment from last year)?

Try to sell them online or opt for a car boot sale if you've a lot of stuff to offload. You've nothing to lose but you could earn some extra festive cash. 

• Maximize the value of a Shilling. 

Planning a village vacation isn't the only time the strength of a Shilling deserves consideration. Case in point, for less than the price of many pair of shoes or expensive clothes, you can feed unprivileged Tanzanian children a healthy breakfast by donating as low as TZS 5,000 to a project we started in 2016 to help unprivileged children in orphanages 4 times a year. You can contribute to the cause by simply sending your contribution to this account.

Account name: Josephine Lukoma

Account number: 5336925552

Bank name: Exim Bank Tanzania

Swift code: EXTNTZTZ for bank transfers

Yes it’s a personal account but I guarantee you these contributions and more from my personal savings every three months reach the intended recipients.

Now let’s help those who need the most help. Don’t forget to state the purpose of the deposit as “contribution to the unprivileged” so it can be easily traced.

Not only does it feel good, but you couldn't possibly quantify the investment return charitable giving produces. What you do this Christmas for someone who is truly suffering could save or substantially enhance the most precious gift many of us too often take for granted.

Hoping I have helped a soul out on their Christmas finances. Nevertheless Christmas never ends if you don’t use these tips for this Christmas try next year’s. This is the best gift I can give you this Christmas.

All I want for Christmas is for you my reader to subscribe today and don’t forget to like and share with your friends and family as it’s the time to share. You may save a soul from the financial hangover this New Year.

Happy holidays!

KICK DEBT OUT OF YOUR LIFE

You will be amazed at how much money you can save on a monthly basis and be able to kick debt out of your life. 

The best way to start saving money is to get out of debt as quickly as possible and have the discipline to stay out of debt. People who have a lot of consumer debt and other loans do not have the cash flow to save in the first place. Debt-ridden individuals end up paying interest to the credit companies instead of earning interest on savings.

Debt can linger on and on for years, making it nearly impossible for people to save. Thankfully, there are many ways one can master to get out of debt but you just have to be willing to do so.

It’s not easy, especially if you’re used to being in debt, but if you have decided to get out of debt and you are really determined to do so, I have put down some steps for you to follow; 

• First I recommend listing your debts one by one. You may choose to order them from the highest interest rate down to the lowest interest rate, or the lowest balance down to the highest balance. The first method may save you the most money, but the second method is nice because it helps you to feel your progress. Whatever you decide, just make sure you attack one debt at a time.

• Second be sure to check out some ways to save money. Saving some money will help you pay off your debt and how will you do this? Start by gaining momentum on your saving, then find ways on how to reduce the interest you have on your debts, then make sure you pay up on the particular set date for you reimbursement. Don’t miss out even when the said amount is not enough explain to your loan agent so you come to an understanding but make sure you pay up. Once you have paid of your debt, you will be able to save more than before.

You’ll be shocked by just how much you can save when you have no debt. I encourage you to envision that now. What will it be like to be free of any debt whatsoever? What could you save towards for? How much further will each and every paycheck go? Grab onto this vision and let it be a motivation for your efforts.

Invest in your future by paying off your debt. It’s a guaranteed return on investment. You’ll know what to expect and, as you pay off each debt, you’ll have more money to throw towards your other financial goals.

Now don’t go back into debt! Spend less on every check, make sure you save more and find other streams of income to feed your push for things you think you can’t stop spending on. I will talk about more of income streams in my next posts will share the link when I do. For example, let’s say you love going out with friends on weekend have some fun, or you want to buy a new pair of shoes every month, find something that will compensate that amount you spend on these luxuries. Don’t quote me wrong, I am not saying don’t go out on weekends or don’t buy new things, it’s okay to spoil yourself but make sure you are still within your earnings don’t go back in debt after you have gone through the debt clutches, they can’t leave you safe one more time. Avoid debt for the rest of your life.

I would love to hear from you on how you have overcome that big debt you have. 

Don’t forget to share, like and subscribe. Follow by email if you can, so you can always get notifications in your inbox every time I publish something new.

Have a lovely debt free life.

5 SKILLS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD MASTER

• UNBLOCK YOUR AWARENESS

This is the key to genuineness every woman craves for.

Learning to hit the roof top in your own preference can be really fulfilling. Learning to understand your own being. Taking the time to notice your engagements and enjoyments, trying out new things, activities and experiences and honoring yourself enough to make time for yourself.

We normally get busy with family, and other duties that we forget our inner delights. Unblocking our awareness means that life is changing and those new discoveries await. So we need to be aware of what’s going on around us and how it can be beneficial to our inner being.

• GETTING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE 

Our growth and success are often relative to how many dangers we’re willing to take and how often we’re willing to let ourselves be uncomfortable. We fool our souls when we play safe. Getting out of our comfort zone doesn’t mean to take extreme measures like running a marathon, or taking the stage and dancing to ‘Ndombolo’. It simply means trying out things you thought were impossible or difficult to handle but starting out in baby steps and eventually reach your destination in great victory.

• SAY ‘NO’ WITHOUT EXPLAINING 

As the saying goes ‘when a woman says NO, she actually means YES. Sometimes you may really mean saying NO but the tone in which you say that NO is not the firm NO which means in the deeper you, you are saying YES. Many women don’t believe they can have what they want, so they learn to settle and their lives become filled with ‘Maybe’s and what if’s’. Some of the women realize that saying NO with clarity and without explaining is really about honoring other people as well as yourself. This gives you a peaceful inner feeling. 

Quoting the New President of Zimbabwe His Excellency CDE Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, in his first speech he says; “It is impossible to please everyone, my mandate is to the people not to my advocates. The best leader must learn to say ‘NO’.’’ 

You can still say yes when you want, and that’s okay! But there is a wonderful sense of power in taking back your health and your life when you say no. Believe me, it feels so good after the first few times that you might want to start saying no to everything! 

Try it out. Say NO with clarity and don’t explain why you said NO. Let me know what happens. lukomaasociates@gmail.com

• LISTENING WITHOUT VERDICT 

I am convinced that most people don’t know the meaning of listening. Many will argue with me saying listening is listening and that’s it. When you are listening to someone talking, you wait for your turn to speak that only means you are judging rather placing a verdict on what the other person is saying so you respond in judgment. We spend most of the time judging or playing verdicts instead of listening. Learning how to truly listen without judgment whether to someone else or to yourself changes lives, it awakens the intuition, it heals and empowers the speaker, and it enriches the present moment. So let’s learn to listen without judging.

• LETTING GO OF THE NEED TO ‘FIX’ 

Stop wanting to fix everything or everyone, some things are not meant to fix. Sometimes we just need to understand that when trying to fix another person, you are robbing them of their own empowerment. In such situations, it’s often you fixing yourself rather than them. Allowing others to find their own wisdom to make their own mistakes teaches them to learn from them and even accept the present moment as well as the ambiguity that comes with their decisions. You just have to let go. Let everyone decide for themselves.

There you have it. Those are the 5 skills every woman should master so as to live a fulfilling life.

If you loved this article go on and share with your friends, subscribe, follow and like.

Share your comments below; I will be happy to respond to all your comments.

IMPORTANCE OF MAKING A PLAN FOR YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS

First we need to ask ourselves; do I really need to invest my savings? Is it better to invest than to save? What are the benefits of saving vs. investing? If you have the answers to these questions well and good, now let’s put up a plan for whether to continue saving or invest.

If you have long term goals I suggest you invest, if you have short term goals saving would be the best choice. Let’s look at the table below;

Set your savings goals As you can see from the table above, you probably have quite a few financial goals. They’ll all have different timescales, which means you might want to do some savings and some investing. That’s why it’s important to make a plan.

If you want to know how to get rich, history has shown investing in good businesses is a good place to start. Yet, unless you are good at saving money, investing in good businesses is not likely something you can do. It's important that you do not despise the day of small beginnings. No matter how small your savings account is now, with wise stewardship and disciplined cost cutting, you can someday be incredibly wealthy. Start today and thank me later but you have to do something. You need to act now. IF YOU FOUND THIS ARTICLE USEFUL SHARE, TWEET, LIKE AND DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE.

LOANS GRANTED IN 7 DAYS

Are you looking for a loan, do you want to improve your business, do you want to pay school fees for your child, are you looking at upgrading your diploma? Name it and you will have it.

These are some of the reasons why we get loans, there are many but these are just a few amongst most. Now I want to help you stop these loans coming in. Get a loan when its really necessary not unnecessarily. If you need advise on your finances we are here to help you. Just send an email to lukomaasociates@gmail.com and we will show you how to save and make use of your savings to earn you more money.

Money in the Bank is good but you need to save after you have invested. There are many ways of saving your had earned cash and I have put down a few of these Tips to help you save and later invest that saved money so it can work for you.

1. Use cash not cards. 2. Automatic deductions to your savings account from your monthly salary or daily earnings. 3. Monthly statements to enable you truck the money you use on a daily, monthly and eventually yearly expenses. Keeping a balance sheets keeps truck of your savings. "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it" 4. Avoid Advertising- reduce watching adverts, they lead to unnecessary buying of things on impulse. 5. Now Vs Later - It takes practice to cultivate delayed gratification, make sure you buy things that you really really need. 6. Turn the Price into hours - Say, that $100 T shirt you saw in the store a few blocks away, ask yourself how many hours you will need to work to earn $100 and then think if its worth it. 7. Focus on how you can increase your income rather than reduce your expenses. Imagine increasing your income by $300 per month this will help you pay your bills and increase your savings. Thank you! Those are some of the tips of saving money and get rid of the loans. Remember DON'T BUY ANYTHING ON IMPULSE. See you on our next article on "HOW TO INVEST YOUR SAVINGS AND LET IT WORK FOR YOU." If you liked the article leave your comments below; Subscribe, Like and Share with your friends and family.