Happy new month everyone. So I received a mail from an investment company and it was titled Safari Trip or Nursing Home? This was the first line of the message, “A nursing home is where people end up when they fail to delay gratification for that safari trip”. That sounded harsh to me, but reading through the mail, I got to understand the message they were trying to pass across which is “delayed gratification”.

Delayed gratification is the ability to say NO to a temptation on an immediate reward and wait for a later reward. It is simply the act of self control. Delayed gratification can be applied in all aspects of life including personal finance.

Although I agree with them on the practice of delayed gratification, I felt the way they passed across the message was a bit harsh. If I save, save, save and save, then at what point do I start enjoying my money? So if I go on a safari trip or scuba-dive in the blue chilly waters of Zanzibar with dolphins, I will end up in a Nursing home when I am old? My slogan is “Living a fulfilled life without making your pocket cry”. I believe everyone can live a balanced life. Saving and Investment does not mean completely depriving one’s self.

I love going out and I love going on holidays, but I will not do them to the detriment of my savings and investment culture. I believe, that if one plans properly for that holiday, one can get good discounts & deals and spend less on a holiday than someone that didn’t plan at all.

If you already have a retirement plan, emergency savings, and have met your savings and investment target for the year, then I believe you can go ahead and spoil yourself. I hate the feeling of being deprived when I have met my set goals. I also do not want to grow old having all the money for a luxury holiday, howbeit I am limited because of my age and incapability to indulge in high thrilling adventures.

So dearies, with proper planning, you can go for not just one but couple of safari trips and not end up in a nursing home! But hold on a minute, don’t get too excited and sincerely ask yourself, “Do I really deserve a Safari Trip?” If your answer is NO, then you better practice delayed gratification. Earn more, save more, invest well and then you can go for that Holiday.

Did anyone also receive the mail? If you did, what did you make of it?


Visit www.akaglue.com for more personal finance tips and thrifty adventure stories.

Go to yankari game reserve in bauchi, nigeria.

Support your local nigerian economy or are you not nigerian?

@ tplander. Lol. The post is just talking about delayed gratification. Whether Nigeria or Abroad vacation, do you deserve one?

And of cos I support our Nigerian economy. I wrote about my trip to Ikogosi. you may want to read about it here. http://akaglue.com/planning-a-budget-holiday-think-ikogosi/