The hidden money leak

I believed I understood money. I wasn’t reckless. I earned. I had goals. When I was assigned to help build the Manage Your Personal Finance course during my internship at Three Mountains, I felt both excited and slightly afraid. Excited because the project is meaningful. Afraid because one quiet question kept echoing in my mind: Who am I to teach financial discipline?

But as I began writing lessons about tracking expenses, investing consistently, and building financial control, something uncomfortable surfaced. Was I truly practising what I was about to teach?

At first, I pushed the thought aside. I focused on developing content around income growth, budgeting strategies, and investment habits. It all sounded clear and empowering. Then one simple question disrupted everything: If you use MoMo regularly, how much have you paid in transaction fees in the last 30 days? I didn’t know. Not an estimate. Not even close.

That realisation unsettled me. It wasn’t about the amount yet, it was about awareness. How could I speak about financial control without knowing my own numbers? So I decided to track every expense for three months. Every transfer. Every meal. Every small purchase that felt too minor to matter.

What I discovered shocked me. In one month, I had paid over 7,500 Rwf in MoMo charges. In another, more than 15,000 Rwf. When I reviewed my spending more carefully, I noticed frequent eating out, unnecessary transfers, and convenience choices, ordering food instead of cooking, paying digitally when cash would have been cheaper, buying small items simply because they were easily available. Each decision felt harmless. Together, they were expensive.

That was the moment the course stopped being theory and became personal. Financial freedom is simple in principle: spend less than you earn and invest the difference consistently. But I realised something uncomfortable. Increasing my income alone would not change my situation. As my income grew, my lifestyle quietly expanded. I chose convenience because I could afford it. I justified small luxuries. My spending increased without intention.

Tracking did not restrict me. It made me honest. I began setting aside a fixed amount at the beginning of each month to build an emergency fund and prepare for future responsibilities like marriage and family. I reduced unnecessary transfers. I planned meals instead of ordering impulsively. I became more thoughtful about where my money was going.

Nothing extreme. Just intentional. And something shifted. I understood that financial confidence is not built through sudden income jumps or motivational phrases. It grows through awareness, through small, repeated decisions that align with my priorities: stability, responsibility, and long-term freedom.

As we prepare to publish the Manage Your Personal Finance course, I carry this lesson with me. The course is no longer just something I helped create; it reflects a discipline I had to develop myself.

Soon, the course will be ready for review. If you would like to be part of this, sign up as a reviewer.  Go to the home page of our website and scroll down.  There you will find a form to fill in.

If you are earning but still wondering where your money goes, this course might provide the clarity you need.

David Kwizera