Wellness With Her Club

In this week’s Money Mondays, Wellness With Her got together with the Financial Fitness Spa to unpack investment in a practical, relatable way for women at all stages of their financial journey.

Key Takeaways:

• Investment is multiplying your harvest; using what you already have to grow more.

• Start small (e.g., 5% of your income), but start now.

• Always have an emergency fund before investing.

•Automate your investments to stay consistent and avoid “feeling the pinch.”

All investments have risk, so do your research and stay aligned with your values.

Investment Defined.

Investment is the strategic act of allocating resources, most commonly money, with the goal of generating income, appreciation, or both over time.

It is a powerful tool that allows individuals to grow their wealth, build financial security, and achieve long-term goals such as home ownership, education, retirement, or legacy planning.

Unlike saving, which prioritises safety and liquidity, investing embraces calculated risk in exchange for the possibility of higher returns.

Investment vehicles range from low-risk options like government treasury bills and unit trusts, to high-risk, high-reward assets such as stocks, real estate, and entrepreneurial ventures.

Successful investing requires a combination of discipline, patience, research, and clarity of purpose. It is not a one-size-fits-all journey; it must be aligned with one’s financial goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

For women especially, investing represents a form of empowerment enabling autonomy, resilience, and the freedom to design a life that isn’t solely reliant on active income.

At its core, investment is more than just multiplying money; it is about planting seeds today that will bear fruit tomorrow, ensuring both financial independence and peace of mind.

Types of Investment Discussed:

Unit Trusts (Mutual Funds)

Definition: A collective investment scheme where your money is pooled with other investors and managed by a professional fund manager to invest in assets like bonds, stocks, and treasury bills.

✅ Pros:

Beginner-friendly

Professionally managed

Diversification reduces risk

Flexible – you can start with small amounts

Highly regulated in Uganda (licensed by CMA)

❌ Cons:

Returns may be modest in the short term

Fund manager fees may eat into profits

Not immune to market fluctuations

SACCOs: (Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations)

Definition: Member-owned financial cooperatives where individuals pool savings and offer loans at lower interest rates.

✅ Pros:

Easy access to credit and higher interest on savings

Promotes saving discipline

Low barrier to entry

Often exempt from taxes until 2027 (in Uganda)

❌ Cons:

Governance challenges if mismanaged

Limited investment options

Some SACCOs lack strong regulation

Risk of loss if the SACCO collapses

Investment Clubs:

Definition: A group of individuals who pool funds and invest collectively in ventures like land, treasury bills, or business projects.

✅ Pros:

Peer accountability and shared learning

Builds discipline and financial literacy

Can access bigger investment opportunities together

Low starting capital per person

❌ Cons:

Requires strong group governance

Conflicts or lack of commitment can disrupt the club

May be slower to make decisions

Treasury Bills and Bonds

Definition: Government-issued securities. Bills are short-term (91 to 364 days); bonds are long-term (2 to 15+ years), paying fixed interest.

✅ Pros:

Low risk (backed by the government)

Predictable, steady income

Suitable for long-term planning

Tax incentives for specific bonds (e.g., infrastructure bonds)

❌ Cons:

Low returns compared to other investments

Long lock-in periods (especially bonds)

Requires moderate to high initial capital

Real Estate

Definition: Buying property (land or buildings) for rental income, resale, or long-term appreciation.

✅ Pros:

Tangible asset with potential for high returns

Can generate passive income

Acts as inflation hedge

Great for long-term wealth

❌ Cons:

Requires significant capital

Maintenance and tenant management

Property market may be slow to liquidate

Vulnerable to legal or land disputes

Stocks (Equities)

Definition: Buying shares in a company, giving you partial ownership and a claim on profits.

✅ Pros:

High potential returns

Ownership in growing businesses

Dividends offer passive income

Long-term wealth accumulation

❌ Cons:

Market volatility (value can drop quickly)

Requires knowledge and research

Emotional decision-making can lead to loss

Not ideal for short-term gains

Fixed Deposits (Time Deposits)

Definition: Money locked in a bank account for a set period at a fixed interest rate.

✅ Pros:

Safe and predictable

Higher interest than regular savings

Simple to understand

Useful for short-term goals

❌ Cons:

Penalised for early withdrawal

Interest may not beat inflation

Limited flexibility and growth

Business Ventures

Definition: Investing capital into your own or someone else’s business in exchange for profit.

✅ Pros:

Potential for high returns

Control (if it’s your business)

Can align with your passions

Encourages job creation and community impact

❌ Cons:

High risk of loss

Requires business skill and time

Cash flow challenges may arise

Emotional investment can cloud judgment

Investing isn’t just about money, it’s about meaning. You should choose options that reflect your values, vision, and season of life. You deserve a wealth system that supports your wellbeing.

Real-life Reflections:

Many of us are pulled back by emergencies, that’s why planning and community are key.

Emergency Funds Defined

An emergency fund is a financial safety net designed to cover unexpected expenses or income disruptions, such as medical emergencies, job loss, car repairs, or urgent home fixes.

It acts as a buffer between you and life’s unpredictability, ensuring that you don’t have to rely on debt, sell assets, or compromise your long-term goals during moments of crisis. Ideally, an emergency fund should cover 3 to 6 months of essential living expenses and be kept in an accessible, low-risk savings account or money market fund.

For women, especially those managing households, caregiving responsibilities, or navigating periods of financial transition, an emergency fund is more than a good idea; it’s a lifeline.

It brings peace of mind, promotes confidence in decision-making, and creates room to breathe when life gets financially tight. Building one takes commitment, but the freedom and security it provides are invaluable.

“Black tax ends with us.” Let’s create wealth systems that benefit generations.

What is Black Tax?

Black tax refers to the financial support that many young African professionals are expected to provide to their extended families parents, siblings, and even distant relatives; often at the cost of their own financial stability or future plans.

Rooted in generational inequality, colonial legacy, and systemic poverty, black tax is not inherently negative, it comes from a place of love, responsibility, and community.

However, when it becomes a cycle that delays wealth creation, drains emotional energy, and leaves no room for savings, investment, or personal growth, it becomes a burden rather than a bridge. Breaking the cords doesn’t mean abandoning family; it means setting boundaries, planning wisely, and empowering loved ones through financial literacy rather than dependency. It’s about rewriting the story: from one of survival to one of sustainability. We don’t break the cord out of selfishness – we break it so we can build stronger roots and rise together.

How does investing protect us from Black Tax?

Investing protects us from black tax by creating a buffer between obligation and depletion. When you invest, you’re not just working for your money, you’re making your money work for you.

Strategic investing grows your wealth over time, building assets that can support both your goals and your responsibilities.

Instead of relying solely on your salary (which often gets drained quickly when supporting extended family), investments can generate passive income, give you emergency fallback, and increase your long-term financial resilience.

More importantly, investing gives you leverage. With accumulated returns or dividend income, you can support loved ones more sustainably, set up structured assistance (e.g. a family fund), or invest in income-generating opportunities for them, like a small business.

This shifts the dynamic from short-term giving to empowerment and independence. In essence, investing allows you to be generous without being jeopardized, to uplift without being undone.

This week, our conversation with Financial Fitness Spa was not just about investing; it was a powerful wake-up call. A reminder that financial literacy is not a luxury, but a lifeline.

At Wellness With Her, we believe wellness is not just physical or emotional, it’s also financial. When we learn to invest, we learn to build beyond survival. We protect ourselves from patterns that drain us: like black tax, lack of emergency buffers, or short-sighted spending and instead begin to create systems that sustain us.

What stood out most is this: Knowledge is protection. It shields us from impulsive choices, from dependency, and from scarcity mindsets. It gives us options. It gives us freedom.

A heartfelt thank you to the Financial Fitness Spa team for their time, clarity, and genuine commitment to empowering women through financial knowledge. For those who want to book a personal session or find out more, click here to access their services.

Let’s keep the conversation going.

To every one reading this, you deserve to thrive. You deserve to feel safe, confident, and empowered in how you handle money. Let’s stay curious, ask questions, and surround ourselves with information that uplifts us.

Let this be our call to action:

Learn. Invest. Grow. Protect yourself. Provide for generations.

We’re proud of our community and how far we’ve come together. Let’s keep walking this abundant path.

With love,

The Wellness With Her Team

🟢 Be well. Be you.