Waiting for results can be a very tormenting affair.

Whether medical, sports, elections or even simple test results, waiting for results can be a worrying time.

And now that we are headed for the General Elections in a few days, many Kenyans are about to experience these horrifying feelings as they wait for their preferred candidates to be announced as winners.

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Given that Kenyans might get a day or two out of their normal routine to excises their voting rights and wait for the results, we should find a way to kill the anxiety that will come with the two days.

So how can you kill the anxiety and at the same time improve your finances? Below are 4 ways you can kill two birds with one stone on August 9th.

Learn One Thing

It’s amazing what you can do in an hour or two. Lock yourself up and find something about your finances that you don’t understand and figure it out. With the internet, everything is just a few types away.

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Maybe you want to know how Saccos work or whether you need life insurance. Maybe you don’t understand how credit cards calculate interest. Learn it. The more you know, the better you become at managing your finances and making good decisions.

Find out where the leak is

If you are the “I don’t know where my money goes” type, then this is your perfect opportunity.

Sit down with your bills and Mpesa statements and figure out where your money is going. Do you eat out a lot? Entertain too much? Shop too often when you don’t need anything? Instead of focusing on the elections tally, take this opportunity to understand your problem.

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Create a realistic monthly budget

Use your monthly spending habits, as well as your monthly take-home pay, to set a budget you know you can keep.

There’s no use setting a strict budget based on drastic changes, such as never eating out when you’re currently ordering takeout four times a week. Create a budget that works with your lifestyle and spending habits. 

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You should see a budget as a way to encourage better habits, such as cooking at home more often, but give yourself a realistic shot at meeting this budget. That’s the only way this money management method will work.

Pay your debts

Not how many debts you carry and then set yourself the goal of paying them as soon as possible, start by creating a list of all your debts, including a current advance of your income, the minimum payment you must make monthly and the interest rate of the house debt.

Not every financial improvement has to take years to accomplish. There’s plenty you can do to improve your finances over your lunch hour or in a spare spot of time. Let the little time you get this August change your life.