By Kemi Fashina
- Go after your needs not wants
This requires huge self-control. You must be able to differentiate between wants and needs. My little niece defines wants as things that we get to make us happy and needs as things we get to stay alive. LOL…funny, but quite true.
This year, you must determine to meet your needs first then see if you can afford your wants. One way to achieve this is by getting the UBA Prepaid Card. I call it my budget planner because it helps to enforce discipline which, by the way, doesn’t come easy. So be wise, have a budget and load just what you want to spend on the card. PRUDENT.
- Look out for deals
If you have a UBA Card, you are in luck. And if you don’t, you can get one easily in 5 minutes or less at any UBA business office. No fluke.
Are you wondering “so what’s in it for me?”- Plenty! Loyalty packages and deals are as common to the UBA card as speed is to the cheetah. For instance, you can get your first two Uber rides free just by registering with your UBA card or you can enjoy a free drink and popcorn at the Silverbird galleria courtesy of your UBA Verve Card. You can even get a mobile phone from Yudala at some thousands of Naira less if you pay with any UBA Card. What a great way to save money while enjoying the good things of life. AWESOME.
- Don’t pay N65 when you can get it for free
Why pay N65 for using another bank’s ATM when you can cash money for free at any UBA ATM? This is one year when every penny lost or saved will make a huge difference in the long run. Avoid undue charges, stick to UBA ATMs. #PAYN0THING
4. Time is money, use it wisely
One of your 2016 must-dos is to use your time wisely and efficiently. Don’t spend quality time queuing at the bank to send money or burn the scarcely available fuel to the PHCN office just to settle a bill. We have made it easy for you, download the U-Mobile or U-Direct app from app stores and carry out these services from your comfort zone. Trust me; the transaction fee is far less than the cost of transportation or your time on the queue. WISE.
- Mind how you pay
If you are shopping abroad or from an international site with your UBA Card, then you need to pay special attention to what is known as the Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) which allows you to choose if you would pay in the currency of your card (let’s say Naira) or that of the merchant’s country (USD, GBP, Euro).
Naturally, it seems a good idea to pay in Naira as you would know the exact value of your transaction. Unfortunately, this is not always the end of the story as some merchants may use unfavourable conversion rates which could make you pay over the odds.
The right thing to do is to always select the foreign currency of the Merchant’s store. SMART.
- Set something aside for tuition
You and I know that the cost of education is not likely to reduce. This reality is even harder to deal with if you have children or wards schooling abroad.
Do not set yourself in panic mode at the end of the quarter by not making advance provision for school fees.
Why not open a U-Care account now and consciously make savings into it? And the good part? You earn interest on your savings and can even access some facility to make up whatever is left.
This conscious savings approach would not come easy but will be worth it. DISCIPLINE.
- Get your fees waived
Fact: Based on a recent regulatory directive, account maintenance fee is now applicable to all customer-induced debits on current accounts.
Reality: We put you first. And we know that every kobo counts.
If you are a business man or woman, my advice is that you open a Lion Prime Current Account to get a waiver on fees. What do you pay? Zilch! You heard me right, no COT, no account maintenance fee, no hidden charges! SENSIBLE.
Do you have other ideas on ways to save money with UBA products? Why not share? Post your idea on our social media platforms (@UBAGroup) with the hashtag #UThrive. An interesting idea could win you shopping vouchers at a reputable online store. Now, that’s one smart way to save money.
