The Secret to Teaching Kids About Money

In this day & age, most mums (myself included and being at the forefront) delude themselves with this kind of thinking;

• My kid will see what I do and learn from it &
• My kid will absorb all my knowledge

Well, if only it was that easy. At least when we were kids, when you reached class six, you would have to be taught Business Education (Otherwise known as B/ED). That was some basics on finance. Today's mums need to take a more active and aggressive role in educating our kids on finances (even though we might not have amazing track records, we want our kids to be finance gurus). This article aims at giving you all the tools to bring up finance geniuses in our homes and give them a head-start in life.


The Secrets

1. Start a Conversation

Feel free to talk to your kid about money and the processes that follow it. Show him/her that you are comfortable and competent with money, and that money is not a forbidden topic or source of shame.
You can also make them work for their wants by giving them age-appropriate chores like taking out the trash, cleaning dishes, washing your car etc.
After a few months of teaching them how to save and spend their allowances/dues from their chores, talk to them about debt. Allow your child to take a loan from you and apply bank rates on repayment. Deduct the premiums from their allowances/dues from their chores. On completion of this illustration, talk about taking debts verses saving to buy the items of their choice.

2. Buy a Piggy Bank or Three

Buy your child a piggy bank as soon as they start school or earlier. There are two ways you can teach your child on saving;

a. One Piggy Bank System
Every time you give your child an allowance, deduct what the child should spend (pocket money), and then 'bank' the rest. Initially I settled for this method (mainly because I didn’t know better). I began teaching Chelimo how to save money through the #52weeksavingschallenge. Every week, on Sundays, I would give Chelimo 100 bob. She would take 20 bob to buy fruits, kangumu, njugu, tamu tamu (never sweets - but that's a story for another day), and deposit 80 bob into her piggy bank. Once a month, I would put 500 bob into her piggy for her. Our #52weeksavingschallenge will end in the last week of December. We will then begin using The Three Piggy Bank System


b. Three Piggy Banks System
Quite recently I came across an article that promotes buying 3 Piggy Banks. One for saving, another spending and the last for gifts & charities. In retrospect, Chelimo will still receive 100 bob. She will put 20 bob for spending in the Spending Bank, 50 bob for saving in the Saving Bank and 30 bob for gifts & charities in the Giving Bank. Her church offering/tithe per week will be 10 bob from her bank plus whatever else I choose to add. I will review this method mid-next year and write a complete pros and cons article on this.

3. Open Up a Bank Account

Once the piggy bank is full, take your child to the real bank and open a kid's savings account. You could go to the KCB Kub Account or the Coorporative Bank - Jumbo Savings Account. Let the child physically count the money and help them sum it up. Take this opportunity to teach your child about interest and get them excited about their money growing in their account.

4. Create a Timeline Checkpoint

Money in the spending jar does not necessarily have to be for extra fruits and snacks (assuming you already buy some for them). One of the best ways to motivate kids on money matters is GOAL SETTING. For Chelimo, we are setting aside 1,000 bob from her piggy bank for buying whatever dress she would like at the end of this year. (It also happens to be her birthday in December).
Using the 3-jar Piggy Bank System is much simpler than setting an arbitrary figure like ours. The child picks a toy/item they would like to have (nothing too expensive - maybe skates, puzzle box etc). If it costs, for example, 2,500 bob, and you need it in 5 months, that would mean that you need to save Kshs. 500/week or 125/month. For Chelimo, that would mean she needs to take up extra chores in the house to make up for the difference.

5. Offer rewards for Saving Money

Kids thrive on praise from their parents. Make a big deal of the growing amount in the Savings Piggy Bank. Take your child to lunch to celebrate savings or if they are like Lexxie, buy them Skittles next time you're doing your monthly shopping and let them know why they are being rewarded.

6. Set a Good Example

Kids love to imitate their parents, so buy yourself a Piggy Bank and save all your coins in them. Make sure to do it consistently and concurrently with them. I bank my coins on Sundays.

7. Match your Child's Contributions

When the piggy bank is full, match your child's contribution. And make sure to leave it as a surprise until the very end, when you are banking the savings. They are therefore more motivated to save more the next cycle.

8. Break Out the 24 Hour Rule

This one is for older kids. If the child sees something at the store/shops that they like, it is better to go home, sleep on it and if they still want it the next day, they are free to buy it. I grew up as an impulse buyer, so hopefully using this tactic will ensure Chelimo isn't one.

AGE APPROPRIATE LESSONS ON MONEY
As documented in Forbes, below are age-appropriate ways to teach kids on finance.

AGE 3-5: You have to wait to get something you like.

Why start so early?

Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go,And when he is old he will not depart from it. 

The ability to delay gratification can predict how successful one will be as a grown-up.
At this age, when going shopping with your child, before leaving the house, let the child know the purpose of going to shop, for instance, "Chelimo, we are going to buy a gift for your cousin Jayden". While at the shop, patiently remind them why you are there.

I once went with Chelimo to the Supermarket and she threw a tantrum over a lollipop. That was the day I embarked on teaching her about delayed gratification (and also banning sweets, biscuits and sodas in my home). For instance, I would buy her a juice box and tell her she can't have it until we are home. It sucked to be me then, but I'm so grateful I went through with it.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Waiting in line at the swings
2. Teach the 3-Piggy Bank System
3. Set Goals e.g to buy a toy

AGE 6-10: You need to make choices about how to spend money.
Teach the child that money is finite and it’s important to make wise choices, because once they spend the money they have, they don’t have more to spend. Keep up with the previous activities of the 3-Piggy Bank System and Goal Setting.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Include the child in some financial decisions like why you would buy Proctor and Allan cornflakes in the polythene package instead of buying the boxed one. They are both good quality but one is cheaper than the other.
2. Give your child 200 bob when you go to the supermarket and let her make her own choices.
3. Talk aloud when trying to make decisions in the supermarket, for instance, "do we need this? Would it cost less somewhere else" etc.

AGE 11-13: The sooner you save, the faster your money can grow from compound interest.
At this age, you can shift from the idea of saving for short-term goals to long-term goals. Introduce the concept of compound interest, when you earn interest both on your savings as well as on past interest from your savings.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Describe compound interest using specific numbers. Explain, “If you set aside Kshs. 100 every year starting at age 14, you’d have Kshs. 23,000 by age 65, but if you start at age 35, you’ll only have Kshs. 7,000 by age 65.”
2. Have your child do some compound interest calculations on Investor.gov. Here, she can see how much money she’ll earn if she invests a certain amount and it grows by a certain interest rate.
3. Have your child set a longer-term goal for something more expensive than the toys she may have been saving for. Those sorts of tradeoffs, called opportunity costs — what are the things you’re giving up to save money — is a very useful thing to talk about. At this age, kids are trying to not save because they want to buy stuff, but thinking of what long-term goals are and what they’re having to give up shows that it’s a good decision. For example, if your child has a habit of buying a snack after school every day, she may decide she’d rather put that money toward an iPod.

AGE 14-18: Compare Costs of Colleges
Most of the public universities in Kenya are basically free if you get placed by JAB, or is it Kuccps these days? So if you chose to pay for the Self-Sponsored Module II or for Private Universities, be sure to compare prices with your child and discuss merits of each varsity. But don’t let the price tag discourage your child.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Compare fees and on determining the varsity of choice, let your child come up with a payment plan for each semester. Discuss their plan's merits & demerits and inform them of your preferred plan.
2. Let the child come up with a budget of their living expenses, requirements on a monthly basis, for instance, toiletries they require, stationary, snack list, entertainment expenses, pocket money etc.
3. Let the child research additional loans, — and use calculators to estimate monthly loan payments
4. The child should also research additional scholarships, and grants that are available.

Finally, with this tech-savvy generation, you can use the internet to teach you kid on money matters. One of the sites I recommend is Rich Kid Smart Kid.



Do remember to leave your comments below.

Xoxo,
Miss Cherono.

Who Else Wants a Home Fitness Plan

When you're working out, there are a few things you should consider.

1. How to work out safely
2. What exercises to do
3. How to do the exercises correctly
4. How to stay motivated
5. How to measure progress

1. Fitness Safety

• Be Sure to Warm Up (5-10 minutes)
  Start out slowly, and gradually pick up the pace as your body warms up. For example, if you're heading out on a 30-minute moderate walk, spend the first 5 minutes at a slower pace, then speed up to moderate.
• Cool Down (5-10 minutes)
  After your workout, gently stretch the main muscles you used during exercise. Hold each stretch for 12 to 15 seconds. Don't bounce. Stretch to the point just before discomfort; if the stretch is painful, you're pushing too hard.
• Drink Water
  Avoid dehydration by drinking fluids before, during and after physical activity. On hot days, don't exercise in the middle of the day. Wear light-colored, loose, comfortable clothing so body heat can easily escape.
• Dress appropriately for the weather/climate to prevent illness. Get affordable workout gear at Kilimall
• Consider exercising with a buddy
• Carry a phone in case of emergency
• Exercise in familiar areas where you know the surroundings and terrain
• Plan to start slowly and boost your activity level gradually unless you are already exercising frequently and vigorously.
• Be aware that training too hard or too often can cause overuse injuries like stress fractures, stiff or sore joints and muscles, and inflamed tendons and ligaments. A mix of different kinds of activities and sufficient rest is safer.
• Listen to your body. Hold off on exercise when you're sick or feeling very fatigued. Cut back if you cannot finish an exercise session, feel faint after exercise or fatigued during the day, or suffer persistent aches and pains in joints after exercising.
• Choose clothes and shoes designed for your type of exercise. Replace shoes as cushioning wears out.
• For strength training, good form is essential. Initially use no weight, or very light weights, when learning the exercises. Never sacrifice good form by hurrying to finish reps or sets, or struggling to lift heavier weights.
• Delayed muscle soreness that starts 12 to 24 hours after a workout and gradually abates is a normal response to taxing your muscles. By contrast, persistent or intense muscle pain that starts during a workout or right afterward, or muscle soreness that persists more than one to two weeks, merits a call to your doctor for advice.

2. Types of Exercises
a. According to Type
Endurance Training
These help to increase your breathing and heart rate. They keep your heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy and improve your overall fitness. Building your endurance makes it easier to carry out many of your everyday activities. For instance aerobics, running/jogging, dancing etc.
Strength-training
They make your muscles stronger. They may help you stay independent and carry out everyday activities, such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries. These exercises also are called "strength training" or "resistance training." For instance lifting weights, using body weights or resistance bands etc.
Flexibility Training
They stretch your muscles and can help your body stay limber. Being flexible gives you more freedom of movement for other exercises as well as for your everyday activities. For instance Yoga, Arm & Leg Stretches etc.
Balance Training
Simply improves your balance.

b. According to Style

• Cardio

These exercise involves performing continuous movements with large muscle groups, such as your legs, for 20 minutes or more. Cycling, swimming, rowing, walking or jogging are forms of aerobic exercise. You may perform aerobic exercise to increase your cardiorespiratory endurance or lose weight. Low-intensity aerobic exercise sessions that last at least 45 minutes are ideal for weight loss, according to the National Federation of Personal Trainers.

• Body-building

This type of exercise involves performing fewer, and more intense, muscle contractions than endurance exercise. For example, heavy weightlifting exercises exhaust your muscles after fewer contractions, because each contraction is particularly intense.

• HIIT/Circuit Training

This usually combines two types of exercises, normally strength-training with endurance exercise.

• Pilates

This stabilizes and strengthens your core. The exercises are usually done in a specific order, one right after another. The movements have names, like "The 100," Criss-Cross," the "Elephant," and the "Swan."

The moves may look simple, but they take a lot of precision and control. Pilates’ main focus is on core however, you can expect to see strength gains in your arms and legs.  Positions and movements used to activate core rely on extremities to control &/or apply loads to the core and likewise will benefit from Pilates.



c. According to Body Parts

• Glute Exercises
• Ab Exercises
• Thigh/Leg Exercises
• Chest/Arm Workouts

d. According to Body Part Combination

• Lower Body Exercises
• Upper Body Exercises

3. Workout Form
Proper form when working out is essential to avoid injuring yourself during exercises.

Always follow the instructions of the instructor – in our case Kelly or David from fitness blender.Tip

1. Pause the video if you need to.
2. Watch the video ahead of the workout session to familiarize yourself with the specific workouts

4. Discipline
How do you remain motivated and be disciplined?

• Set realistic, fitness-related goals for yourself – Write them down, both long-term and short-term
• Look for an accountability partner
• Don’t miss a workout scheduled for Monday – it sets the tone for the week.
• Don’t miss a workout for more than three days. Which is to say that one of your workout days has to be Friday and the other Monday.
• Celebrate the little wins, e.g. completing a workout session you previously could not finish.
• Schedule your workouts just like you would a Doctor and never miss an appointment
• Track your changes – See my FREE Fitness Tracker Spreadsheet
• Repeat positive affirmations to yourself during exercise. For instance – I can do this, I can complete this.
• Pack your workout clothes (or lay them out) the night before.
• Give Ksh. 2,000 to your friend. If you miss a workout, they will donate it to the political candidate you neither like nor support.
• Be patient – you will note loose 10kgs overnight. Also, just as we gain weight at different rates, we also loose it at different rates.
• Eat regularly and healthily
• Forgive yourself and move forward

5. Fitness Tracker

While weighing yourself still remains to be a good indicator of weightloss, it may not necessarily be an encouraging method. This is mainly because fats weigh less than muscle. During the fitness program I have recommended, strength training will build muscles therefor cancelling out the weight of fat. In other words, When you strength train and eat properly, your body tends to only shed fat while keeping and building on the muscle you already have.

Instead I recommend measuring yourself – your waist, arm, hips, belly. If you do not have time for this, measure your progress by how your clothes fit you.

TipWhen working out, it takes 4 weeks for you to see any changes. It takes your close family 8 weeks and others, it will take them 12 weeks to notice. BE KIND TO YOURSELF.

The  FREE Home Fitness Plan/Routine - is mostly for those in the beginner/intermediate level. Feel free to customize the Workout Routines to suit your level. Click Here to DOWNLOAD the FREE HOME FITNESS PLAN

The FREE Fitness Tracker - requires to be filled out daily. But who has time for that? I only fill it out on Mondays & Fridays. But be sure to measure your weight first thing in the morning. Click Here to DOWNLOAD the FREE HOME FITNESS TRACKER

DISCLAIMER: Please contact your physician before attempting any of the workouts or detox programs in this blog. I am not a physician and therefore I'm not in any position to give you advice, this blog is a documentation of what I did and how I did it.

If you need help configuring any of the documents, contact me.

Take it one day at a time and enjoy the journey.

Xoxo,
Miss Cherono

Loosing 16kgs

MY STORY

Fitness and/or weight loss is a very sensitive subject to blog. What works for you might not necessarily work for you...and even with that disclaimer being in the first paragraph of this blog, the chances of ending up with a disgruntled audience is still very high...unfortunately. So I am not going to pussy-foot.

DISCLAIMER: Please contact your physician before attempting any of the workouts or detox programs in this blog. I am not a physician and therefore I'm not in any position to give you advice, this blog is a documentation of what I did and how I did it.

Now that that's out of the way...how and where do I start?
This is me at my heaviest - 72kgs. I didn't even know this picture existed![/caption]

In early 2011, I was 49kgs before I got pregnant. Underweight you say? Nope. I'm just super duper short. 151cm to be exact...I think that translates to 5ft...No? I looked and felt amazing. Fast forward 2012, after the birth of my amazing daughter, I added 12kgs to a total of 62kgs. According to my BMI, that squarely puts me in the range of OVERWEIGHT. In the 3 years that followed, I ate my way to 72kgs....which meant I was in OBESITY 2 at that point.

I had problems getting up, walking and even playing with my monkey. I decided to join a local gym (SUZIE'S GYM in Bamburi Mtambo, Mombasa - try it, really affordable and adequately equipped. Back then, they charged 2,000 bob per month for aerobics + using the fitness equipment). This hardly helped. I would loose half a kg in one month, then add another kg the next month. I was literally and figuratively mark-timing. I quickly gave up on going to the gym - there was no difference after-all.

In June 2015, I left Mombasa  and relocated to Nairobi. Back to my hood. With no day job, I started to stream stuff, including workout videos and diet stuff...This did't move me much though. I was not going to set myself up for failure. I even met my aunt's colleague, and boy you should have seen her face! Pure Shock. She said she couldn't recognize me because I was so fat! I'm not going to lie...that stung a bit, or a lot, or something in between. It was during some time in October, that I saw an old pal of mine, Kenny, through his facebook page post the below;
Since I know this guy personally (and he doesn't do BS), I thought why not try it, making a mental note never to try something else if this didn't work. Well, I went bought myself cumin, tangawizi and some lemons, and followed Kenny's advise (not as faithfully as I should have...we all have that doubting Thomas lingering somewhere in our subconcience). I lost 5 kgs!

After that experiment, I continued working out, 30 minutes a day. In January 2016, I came across a page called 21 Days of Change - Jane Mukami and I kid you not, this stuff worked wonders on me. This literally reinforced Kenny's advice on weightloss and it backed it up with facts etc etc. I was even more encouraged that everyone on that page was a woman....meaning that if they can do it, so can I (there's a rumour doing rounds that guys' metabolism rates are usually high and apparently that's why they don't gain weight as fast as we do, and loose it faster than we do?).


On joining the page, I read a number of their posts and notes and decided that the best starting point would be to try Jane Mukami's 10 Day Detox. So I did the detox - again not faithfully - and lost a further 5kgs during this process.

The detox was the best thing that ever happened to me! Mostly because it;

1. Curbed my appetite
2. Boosted my metabolism
3. Increased my motivation for clean eating

Let's be honest here... 'your body is made 80% in the kitchen, 20% in the gym' is not a myth. If you're not willing to eat clean, just forget it. Love yourself as you are and stop googling "weight loss programs" or "weight loss diets" or worse still, "how to loose belly fat". Just love you, and move on.

During the detox, I started to google fitness programs and went through a lot of youtube videos. This is what I learned;

1. Cardio is a good way of loosing fat
2. Muscle building burns more fat - especially the sturborn kind
3. Always warm up and cool down
4. Start at beginner levels and push yourself everyday to do more
5. You either want to succeed or you are mediocre

After the detox, I started working outs, mainly using fitness blender's free videos on youtube. I came up with a home fitness workout routine that helped me shed off fat and build muscles instead. I intend to share with you the best home workout that helped me shed off the 10kg.....


I had spent more than three years fattening my body, and it took me 9 months to get it back. 9 months of hard work and discipline. AND encouragement from my online family 21 Days of Change - Jane Mukami. I eventually lost a cumulative total of 16kgs....I am still a work in progress. But I do feel so much better!

Me at 57kgs....[/caption]

Read the next blog to get your FREE home workout plan. and TIPS ON WEIGHT LOSS.

Have fun and enjoy your journey.

Xoxo,
Miss Cherono.

10 Holiday Activities for Your Kids

1.         Swimming

The December holidays are usually the driest and hottest time of the year in Kenya. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we all need to flock the coast, we could make use of the resources around us. Take your kids swimming at Impala Club on Ngong Road, Methodist Church along Oloitoktok Road, Have a toddler? Don’t worry. The in Lavington have Baby Swimming Classes for only @1000/=, Nairobi Water Babies also have classes and Swim Right. For more information on Swimming Pools open to the Public, please see the blog Living in Nairobi. Even though the list is not exhaustive, Nairobians have posted in the comments section to supplement the blog’s information.

2.         Skating

There are two types - roller skating/blading and ice skating. For roller skating/blading, there’s a skating park @ Shangilia, lessons by Skate Studio Ltd and Skate Empire. Ice Skating is available for Kshs. 800/= for adults per 60-minute session. The best thing about this activity, you can just buy skates and let the kids learn how to skate in your hood. Get skates at Nairobi roller skates shop, OLX for second hand skates, Nairobi Sports House and Jumia.

3.         Tennis

Unfortunately for tennis, training & courts are normally offered to club/school members. If your child already plays and is looking for tennis events, see Bumblebee Tennis Program @ Hillcrest for only 5,000/= .

4.         Gymnastics

For that event that gets your kid absolutely exhausted in the evening, why not try gymnastics? Kids Gymnastics offers classes.

5.         Foreign Languages

How about making your kid a linguist? Give them a head start… Learn French @ Alliance Francais, German @ Goethe Institute and Italian @ Italian Institute of Culture.

6.         Dance

Who doesn’t really like to dance? Whether it’s in the shower or on stage, dancing makes one feel good. For training & up-coming events, please see The Academy of Dance & Art both in Nairobi & Mombasa, Dance Centre Kenya and Leadership, Life Skills & Dance Camp at the YMCA. For more information, check out AfroMum’s blog.

7.         Crafts

Boost your child’s creativity by taking them to creative classes such as The Toddler Class @ Nairobi Art Centre  ( Also check out their Facebook page for motivation) and Training With Calista Creations in Lavington. For Motivation, attend the Kilimani Community Concert and the Family Expo & Fair at Karura Forest.

8.         Coding

Everything is digital these days….it will help if at least one of your family members intimately understands computer languages. You never know, they may build you your own app…For teens, do register them for the Teens Coding Camp at the Discovery Centre.  If your child is more science oriented, do consider Holiday Science Camp at Discovery Centre.

9.         Church Camps

This list would not be complete if I didn’t mention the Holiday Camps offered at Church. Simply get in touch with your church’s information center on more info. I could mention the DVBS (Daily Vacation Bible School) offered by all CITAM (NPC) Churches  and the GO TELL Day Camp by Nairobi Chapel.

10.   Bike Riding

Bike events have risen in popularity in Nairobi. For up-coming events, see The Village Tour, Lakeside Bike Tour and Capital to Coast Charity Tour.
Do you know of any interesting activities that are not mentioned above? Please leave a comment below.

Xoxo,
Miss Cherono.

How to Get Rid of Cockroaches – What Really Works

If you're looking for how to get rid of cockroaches then you're in the right place. Roaches are perhaps the most despised pests on the planet. Not only do they carry diseases (in rare cases), but they’re associated with a dirty environment (often erroneously). These insects have been around for 300 million years, so arming yourself with the right information can be the difference between success, or failure. Save yourself from wasted time, money, and effort. Read on to find out what works, and make this the last time.

 Short on time? Here's My #1 Recommended Solution

Want to skip all the reading and just get straight to THE solution that'll work? I've got you covered. Here's what I would do if I ever move into a house infested with them again.

1. Buy the Green Leaf – Cockroach Killing Bait (Powder/Chalk).
2. Clean every night and put all food away, as well as leave no dirty dishes in the sink.
3. Lightly dust the powder appropriate locations like inside cabinets, behind appliances and wherever you see a lot of roaches. Chalk along the bottom of major appliances, baseboards, cracks and crevices.
4. Continue to use the roach powder/chalk until they are completely gone.

This method is the most effective I've ever used. However, you have to be patient. This doesn't provide instant, visible results like Mortein Doom, Bolt Insecticide, Cockrakill Paste Roach Killer, Ridsect, or Baygon, but it's the most effective at targeting the entire roach infestation (which is what you want). Give it a few weeks to start seeing results and a couple of months for total eradication.

Of course, once you have more time, you'll want to come back and take your time to read through the wealth of information on this website. Knowing more about these pests is key to eliminating them successfully.

The Pests

Why They're Bugging You

These pests like to live indoors among humans; where it provides warmth, shelter from the elements and has easy access to food & water. In other words, they're just looking for a place to survive; and your house is giving them exactly what they want. They're living the dream at your expense.

What's attracting them

The basic necessities for survival mentioned above are what they are attracted and they're all they will ever ask for in life. But all of them do not have to be present to attract them to your home in the first place. It takes just one of them to get their attention–especially the smell of food.

Once they make their way in and discover all their necessities readily available in one place, they'll alert others and invade your home and quickly multiply to almost uncontrollable numbers (if not handled correctly). They'll eat your food while spreading the germs they carry; threatening your well-being.

 Prevention

1. Repellents to Keep Them Away

The best way to keep roaches away is a clean home. You'll have no roaches if you cut off their food sources and water sources completely; leaving them with absolutely no way to find food, or water in your home. Of course, realistically, that's basically impossible. Don't let that deter you though. You're still able to make it less attractive for them and it is absolutely vital for successful cockroach control.

2. Reduce food source

Dirty dishes provide plenty of food for the roaches. Don't leave them out. Wash them.

Make it harder for them to eat by:

1. Leave zero dirty dishes overnight.
2. Putting food away in sealed containers.
3. Covering food.
4. Reducing clutter.
5. Sweeping & vacuuming on a daily basis.
6. Keep all garbage in tightly closed containers.
7. Take out the garbage often.
8. Reduce water sources

Reduce their access to water by:

1. Fixing all leaky plumbing (including fixtures that drip).
2. Drying all kitchen, bathroom, and other sinks in the house every single night before bedtime.
3. Covering all drains (sinks and bathtub) at night. See this cool Silicon Sink Plug by Jumia.
4. Wipe and dry any spills.
5. Emptying and drying pet water bowls at night.

Get Rid of the Pests

1. Baking Soda and Sugar

A simple yet effective mixture. Baking soda and sugar are able to effectively help kill roaches, and you’ll be able to notice a quick decline in the population as a result. You’ll need to know where the roaches are hiding out, so it’s important to make note of where you’ve seen these pests before planting the bait for them to eat. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

1. Baking soda
2. Sugar
3. A bowl or cup

Baking soda is not toxic in the same way as boric acid, and it will begin to mix with the roach’s stomach acid, causing it to die over time. You’ll need to mix equal parts baking soda with equal parts sugar (1/4 cup of each is a good start). Now, all you’ll need to do is sprinkle them in the areas that you’ve seen roaches. You’ll need to leave this bait out and repeat your sprinkling of the mixture often to ensure there is enough to kill the roaches. Sugar isn’t the deadly portion of the mixture, but it will work to attract the roaches. See Bicarbonate of Soda from Foodplus  or Clover’s Bicarbonate of Soda from Foodplus.

2. Boric Acid

Boric acid can be purchased in stores or online, and this is one of the best killers of roaches, ants and a variety of other pests. This acid has been proven to be effective at killing roaches, and it’s one of the most widely used remedies for this purpose. But boric acid isn’t safe for consumption, so you’ll need to keep it out of reach of children and pets. This is a poison, and long-term exposure can cause you to become ill. Ingesting boric acid will result in poisoning as well. Roaches will die if they come in contact with this acid, but there are a few points you need to consider when sprinkling boric acid in your home:

1. Only a light dusting is required (too much, and it will be ineffective)
2. Boric acid is not effective when wet

The goal is to have the roaches walk through the boric acid powder, which is difficult if the roaches are in tight corners or under the cabinets. Once you’ve placed the acid, the roaches will get it on their antennae, legs and body. During grooming, the acid will be ingested, which will result in death for the roach.

See AMAR Boric Acid Powder from Foodplus or Rosa Pham Boric Acid Powder from Epepea 

3. Fabric Softener Spray

A home remedy to get rid of roaches that takes a little action on your part. Fabric softener can kill roaches, but it can’t just be placed on the floor in hopes that it will get the job done. Instead, you need to make a spray and actively spray the roaches you see out and about in your home. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

1. Natural fabric softener
2. Water
3. Spray bottle

You’ll want to mix three parts fabric softener with two parts water. For example, you can combine 3/4 cup of fabric softener and 1/2 cup of water together in a spray bottle and mix it up. A simple shake of the spray bottle before usage is really all that is needed. The solution will be rather thick, so keep this in mind when going to spray. When you see roaches, squirt them with the solution. If you see a roach skitter behind a piece of furniture, you can often squirt them with greater ease than if you tried stepping on them, for example. Roaches breathe through their skin, so when the thick spray gets on the roach, it will suffocate them. This is one of the home remedies for roaches that works best if there is a massive infestation where you’re sharing every inch of your home with these pests. Dish soap can be used in lieu of fabric softener, but we found it to be less effective.

4. Bay Leaves

Maybe you have a soft spot for roaches. Perhaps you don’t want to kill them, but you just want to keep them out of your home. Bay leaves are a natural roach repellent – they simply hate the smell of them. Another major benefit is that bay leaves aren’t poisonous to humans, so you won’t have to worry where you place them. To get started, you’ll need the following:

1. Mortar and pestle
2. A handful of bay leaves

Now, you may not have a mortar and pestle available, so just use a bowl and something to crush the leaves effectively. The back of a butcher knife can crush dry leaves effectively. You can use your hands, too, but it will take longer. Simply place the leaves in a bowl and crush them into a powder. This powder will be sprinkled in areas where you know roaches are present and possibly nesting. Cucumbers can also be placed around the home (slices or peels) as a repellent against roaches. Find Tropical Heat Bay leaves at e-mart 

5. Lemon Peels or Lemon Juice

The fresh smell of lemons is often associated with a clean home, and lemon is often used in the world’s most popular household cleaners. There is no denying that lemon juice is a powerful agent that is able to cut through grease and stains, but what many people don’t know is that it can repel roaches, too. The anti-pathogenic properties of lemon, and other citrus foods, will keep roaches away. You can do a lot of different things with lemon to keep roaches out of your home.

1. Add lemon juice (or buy 100% lemon juice) and spray in hard-to-reach areas of the home where you know roaches reside.
2. Grind up lemon peels and place the grounds around the home where roaches are present.

But you can also go to the extremes – which is what we recommend. You’ll need:

1. A bucket or large bowl
2. Lemon juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
3. Rags or towels

Mix the water and juice together, ensuring that the lemon is not too diluted. This sounds a lot more complicated than it sounds, but it’s not. We recommend adding lemon juice into the bucket first, followed by adding in water slowly to ensure that the lemon smell is still strong. Err on the side of more lemon juice than water for best results. Now, clean everything from the countertops to the floor with the mixture. The goal is to clean all of the surfaces where roaches reside to repel them away. And your home will have a clean, lemon-fresh smell, too.

6. Coffee Traps

Coffee is something that roaches like, too. And all of those used coffee grounds can actually be used for something – getting rid of roaches. You’ll want to use the coffee as a lure to trap the roaches and kill them. You’ll need:

1. Coffee grounds
2. Jars

Fill a jar with coffee grounds and add water so that the roaches will die. But roaches can breathe in water for 40 minutes, and if fully submerged, they can live for 30 minutes, so if you find them crawling out of the jar, here is another trick .Apply petroleum jelly to the inside of the jar so that the roaches can’t gain traction to climb out of the jar. Strategically place the jars around the home where roaches frequent. We recommend checking these jars every morning to dump out the dead roaches. Repeat the process for a few weeks until you start to notice that there are no roaches entering the jar. If the roaches did not lay eggs, you’ll be roach-free. If you notice even one roach, it’s essential to take action right away. Roaches can lay up to 50 eggs at a time, depending on the type of roach in the home. Proper sanitization and filling entry points will be essential to curb roaches from coming into the home in the future. Reducing pathways and entryways will be a must for a roach-free future. Reducing food and water sources should follow. Pesticides and management solutions can also be followed if the roach problem is a recurring issue that only goes away and comes back every few months. You need to be relentless when it comes to roaches. Natural home remedies for roaches are less deadly than their pesticide counterparts, and they often fail when the homeowner stops taking action. Even if you haven’t seen a roach in a month, the eggs they left behind may be ready to hatch at any time. Insect growth regulators can be used in this case, or you’ll need to be prepared with the remedies listed above so that you can stop any future problems before they grow into a full-blown infestation.

7. Ammonia Solution

Cockroaches often hide in sinks and drain pipes. Ammonia is a top class house hold roach’s home remedy in these situations. Add a cup full of ammonia in a bucket of water and flush it down sinks and toilets to clean out the pipes. The strong pungent smell will ward off the roaches nesting in pipes and sewers.

8. Moth Balls

Moth balls are excellent for warding off all kinds of pests including roaches. Place a few in your cupboard and near specific areas prone to infestation or likely to be the nesting area for roaches. However, they are not good for humans either so it is important to keep them away from children.

9. Pepper, Garlic and Onion solution

This potent mixture can be concocted by adding one tablespoon of pepper, a clove of garlic and half an onion mashed up together and added to a litre of water. Add some liquid soap if you want, and sprinkle this solution on kitchen and bathroom areas roaches frequent at night. You may also use this water to mop the floors or counter tops and cabinets. Roaches cannot stand the smell of this combination are likely to leave your home alone.

10. Professional grade concentrated pesticides

a) All natural boric acid and borax

Boric acid is my favorite all-natural solution for roaches. In fact, it's a favorite even among professional exterminators for pest control of insects and other unwanted bugs such as ants.

An alternative that might be easier to locate for some, is borax powder. Borax can often be found in the laundry aisle; being sold as a laundry booster. Some people often confuse borax to be the same as boric acid, but that's actually wrong. They are not the same thing. However, they both work amazingly well at killing roaches and they are both used in the same manner.

To effectively use either boric acid or borax, lightly dust the powder using a bulb duster. Once the powder is lightly dusted and an unsuspecting cockroach walks through, it clings to their legs. From just the physical contact alone, the powder causes destruction to their protective exoskeleton. It gets even better though. When they clean themselves after contact is made, it'll also poison them from the inside (because they end up ingesting).

You can even mix boric acid or borax with a little sugar and water to create a very potent homemade DIY bait.

b) Non-toxic diatomaceous earth

An all-natural and non-toxic alternative is diatomaceous earth (DE). I've had good results with DE, but I personally preferred and have had better results with the other solutions listed above. Of course, I can't ignore those who would prefer a non-toxic solution, so I can't leave out DE (because it works).

If you'd rather use this solution instead, buy food grade diatomaceous earth and apply it the same way you would with boric acid or borax powder. Remember to use a bulb duster.

Here are 10 Fun Facts about Cockroaches;

1. A cockroach can live for a week without its head. Due to their open circulatory system, and the fact that they breathe through little holes in each of their body segments, they are not dependent on the mouth or head to breathe. The roach only dies because without a mouth, it can't drink water and dies of thirst.
2. A cockroach can hold its breath for 40 minutes, and can even survive being submerged under water for half an hour. They hold their breath often to help regulate their loss of water.
3. Cockroaches can run up to three miles in an hour, which means they can spread germs and bacteria throughout a home very quickly.
4. Newborn German cockroaches become adults in as little as 36 days. In fact, the German cockroach is the most common of the cockroaches and has been implicated in outbreaks of illness and allergic reactions in many people.
5. A one-day-old baby cockroach, which is about the size of a speck of dust, can run almost as fast as its parents.
6. The American cockroach has shown a marked attraction to alcoholic beverages, especially beer. They are most likely attracted by the alcohol mixed with hops and sugar.
7. The world's largest roach (which lives in South America) is six inches long with a one-foot wingspan. Average cockroaches can vary in size from ½"- 2" long.
8. Cockroaches are believed to have originated more than 280 million years ago, in the Carboniferous era.
9. There are more than 4,000 species of cockroaches worldwide, including the most common species, the German cockroach, in addition to other common species, the brownbanded cockroach and American cockroach.
10. Because they are cold-blooded insects, cockroaches can live without food for one month, but will only survive one week without water.

What's your favourite way of getting rid of these pesky insects?

Xoxo,
Miss Cherono.

Family Budgeting That Works

BUDGETING THAT WORKS
When I left employment to be a SAHM (stay at home mom), I quickly realized what an impulse buyer I was. At the time, I was helping a friend run his businesses and got a stipend on a weekly basis. I was going through my savings faster than I was getting any income.

If you are like me, the challenging economy caused me to take a look at my personal finances and consider making a budget.

Your budget tells your money what to do for you.                                                         - Pastor Oscar Muriu

If done correctly, budgeting will provide you with more financial freedom than most can imagine. Keep reading below to find the free budget spreadsheet (from Microsoft Excel) that worked for me. No two families will have the exact same expenses, therefore there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this.
You can use one of the below softwares to open the document:

• Microsoft Excel
• Google Docs
• Libre Office
• Kingsoft Office

TIPS ON BUDGETING
Just like having regular workout session, having a budget requires absolute discipline. Otherwise, you’ll do it for two months, then forget about it….only to remember after three months.

People who budget are the ones who create wealth.                                                         - Pastor Oscar Muriu

The following tips will help you fill your spreadsheet faithfully.

1. Always Carry A Small Notebook

Seeing that the budget spreadsheet is on your computer or laptop, it’s quite unrealistic to keep filling it every time you make a purchase. It’s also unrealistic to expect to remember all your purchases off head – especially the small purchases. So buy yourself a small notebook / journal to note down your expenses. Whenever you’re at the restaurant waiting for someone or waiting on your food, write down how much you used for fare or cab or how much you shared with the homeless mom on the street.

2. Keep All Your Receipts

Make a habit of keeping all your receipts, yes, even for purchases that cost 50 bob! Note them down in your notebook at the end of the day.

3. Set Goals

To help on keeping the discipline for budgeting, set some goals for your money. For example, set a goal to save Ksh. 2,000/= per month for your child’s secondary/university school fees. Also, set a secondary goal for fun like going on vacation in Diani or taking your LO to the Mara to see the Wildebeest Migration. You can involve the younger ones on this one. To remind you of your goals, I recommend writing them on a piece of paper, then taping it to your fridge, so you see them every day. From the get-go, involve the whole family in the decision-making process. Children as young as seven can join in discussions about saving and may have some ideas of their own.

4. Monitor Your Progress

Revisit you budget at the end of each month to see how well you are adapting, saving and/or spending. You can also take a further look at the itemised purchases and see what can be tweaked in favour of your savings.

5. Live Within Your Means

Do you always find yourself hanging around the finance office on the 25^th of every month? Do you call your accountant to confirm if the salary check has been deposited? Do you require a salary advance every month? If so, then you are definitely living beyond your means. You are spending money that you do not have. With the numbers in black and white, you can approach the monthly budget more realistically. Discretionary spending might be the only way you can find and divert money toward debt reduction and saving.

If you are living on more than 60% of your take-home income, you are living beyond your means.
                                                         - Pastor Oscar Muriu

Check out the Nairobi Chapel YouTube page for more on Pastor Oscar's sermons on Financial Freedom.

HOW TO USE THE SPREADSHEET

1. Start with your income.

The overall spreadsheet looks like this. Hopefully, you will have more more positives than the negatives shown....

Add up your expected monthly income, plus any side income. If you are paid at odd intervals, just get as close as you can. If your income is uncertain, then choose an amount that is realistic, but conservatively low. You can always adjust it later.

2. List Your Expenses

Using the categories in the spreadsheet, list all your expenses. The categories include Housing Expense, Transportation, Insurance, Food, Children, Pets, Personal Care, Entertainment, Loans, Taxes, Savings or Investments & Gifts and Donations.
Modify the spreadsheet to include all your expenses. The amounts that you think you will pay go in the Planned Amounts column. During the month as you go through your receipts, you will update your budget with the Actual Amounts. The main goal is for the expenses to be less than the income.
For Groceries & Home Supplies, fill the SHOPPING LIST in Row 140 (for Home Supplies) and Row 207 (for Groceries), this automatically fills the respective slots on the budget. In other words, skip the amounts for home supplies & groceries in Rows 57 & 34.

3. Find Out Where the Money Goes

It can be very eye-opening to find out how much you are spending on eating out, clothing, or other things. As you get a sense of where your money is going, then you can decide if you have areas you want to cut back on. Making adjustments is a normal part of the budgeting process.
Stay motivated by celebrating small successes, like the fact that you were able to save something, even if it’s just Kshs. 300 more than you did before the budget was in effect.

WHAT NEXT

1. Pay Off Debt

Write all your debts (HELB, Credit Card, Loans etc) down on a piece of paper. Rearrange these debts from the smallest to the largest. Start by paying off the least amount and crossing it off when fully paid.
When you finish paying off a debt, move on to a bigger one. After paying off debt, any money left over should go into savings and investments instead of thinking of it as “free spending money.” Why? Putting extra money away during months of excess will carry you through the lean times.

2. Invest

If you already have a handle on basic savings, consider starting an investment portfolio

SPENDING GRAPH
To maintain a healthy financial lifestyle, one has to live within their means and at the same time save and invest. The table and graph below depicts the ideal percentages for expenses. Remember that priorities differ....tweak the percentages to your preference.
Download the Spreadsheet Below. Financial Freedom is only a Click away!
Family monthly budget planner
What tips do you recommend when doing monthly home budgets? Comment below.

UPDATE: Contact me if you need help configuring the spreadsheet. 

Xoxo,

Miss Cherono.