Conversations around personal finance often revolve around how to make money. People are constantly chasing the next business idea, side hustle, or job promotion. Yet, few stop to ask themselves an equally important question — how do I keep the money I make?

Making money and keeping money are two sides of the same financial coin, but they require very different mindsets and skills. Understanding the difference between the two could be the key to long-term financial stability and freedom.

1. Making Money: The Active Hustle

Most Kenyans are excellent at finding ways to earn. From formal employment to farming, online gigs, and small businesses, the Kenyan spirit of hustle is unmatched. Making money is about effort, creativity, and the ability to spot opportunities.

But making money alone is not a guarantee of wealth. Many high earners still live paycheck to paycheck because they have mastered earning — not management. In fact, the more one earns, the more they tend to spend, often falling into lifestyle inflation — upgrading everything from phones to homes without upgrading their savings habits.

2. Keeping Money: The Quiet Discipline

Keeping money is where true financial wisdom begins. It’s not about how much you earn, but how much you retain and grow. This is where budgeting, saving, and investing come in.

Keeping money means saying no to unnecessary expenses, learning to live below your means, and prioritizing future goals over short-term pleasure. It also involves having a plan for your income — splitting it between needs, wants, savings, and investments.

Those who keep money well understand that small, consistent financial decisions today can create massive results tomorrow. They build emergency funds, avoid bad debt, and put their money into assets that generate returns, such as unit trusts, SACCOs, or small businesses.

3. The Kenyan Reality: Cultural Pressure and Misplaced Priorities

In Kenya, there’s immense social pressure to look successful — not necessarily be successful. Many people borrow to fund lifestyles, weddings, or appearances that do not align with their financial reality. This mindset keeps many trapped in cycles of debt and dependence.

Financial literacy remains low, especially among young adults. While the culture celebrates visible success — the car, the house, the outfit — few people are taught about financial discipline, delayed gratification, and long-term planning.

4. Building Financial Maturity

To transition from making money to keeping money, every Kenyan needs to adopt a new financial mindset — one focused on sustainability rather than survival.

Here’s how to start:

• Track your spending — Know where your money goes every month.

• Budget intentionally — Create a realistic plan and stick to it.

• Save before you spend — Automate savings or join a disciplined savings group.

• Invest wisely — Even small amounts can grow if invested early and consistently.

• Avoid unnecessary debt — Only borrow for things that build value, not for image.

Kenya’s economy rewards those who hustle, but only the financially disciplined thrive. Making money is about effort; keeping money is about wisdom. If you can do both — earn smart and manage smart — then true financial freedom becomes possible.

So the next time you receive a paycheck, business profit, or bonus, remember: it’s not about how much you make — it’s about how much you keep.