Tracking My Smokie-Mayai Expenses Was the Best Financial Decision I Made in 2025

If you work in any busy office hub in Nairobi, you know the scene. You disembark from the matatu at 8 AM, still a bit dazed, and the first thing that hits you isn't the morning breeze—it’s the aroma of frying smokies or sausages. 

There’s always a crowd gathered around that metallic trolley, people in suits and overalls alike, waiting for their "fix" before heading up the elevators. For me, the smokie-mayai joint has been a ritual for years. Whether it was a quick breakfast or that 4:00 PM slump when the office air starts feeling heavy, the solution was always waiting right outside the gate.

It’s the ultimate Kenyan snack. A spiced smokie, a boiled egg, a generous heap of kachumbari, and that lethal green chili. It’s delicious, it’s convenient, and most importantly, it’s "just 50 bob." Sometimes, if I’m feeling like a king, I’ll wrap it in a chapati—the famous Smocha—and the bill hits 100 bob.

I never thought twice about it. I’m in my late 20s, I’ve got a decent job, and I’m not even married yet. What is 50 bob in the grand scheme of things?

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An Innocent Discovery 

In early January 2025, while most people were making grand New Year resolutions about "investing in offshore stocks," I decided to do something a bit more boring. I sat down to audit my 2024 spending. I played around with the Mpesa App and was able to get all my expenses for the year distributed by category - withdrawals, paybills, till payments, etc. 

I saw the usual suspects: rent, KPLC, my favorite pub. But then, I saw a Till Number that appeared with frightening frequency. It was my Smokie-Mayai guy.

When I hit the 'Total' button for that specific Till for the past two years, I nearly dropped my phone. Ksh58,0000 and a few coins on top. And that’s just the office kibanda. Anytime I was going out, the smokie mayai guy was a must-visit - before and after the drinks. 

I sat there in silence, staring at the screen. Fifty-eight thousand shillings. That is a return ticket to the coast, a decent stay at an Airbnb, and pocket money to boot. I had literally eaten a holiday—50-shilling eggs at a time.

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The "Nuts" Strategy

The realization hit hard. In Kenya, we have a dangerous phrase: "Ni mbao tu" or "Ni soo tu". We treat these small amounts as if they don't belong to our actual budget. But as I learned, small leakages sink big ships.

I decided to quit the habit in 2025. But I knew myself—I couldn't just stay hungry. I went to the market and bought peanuts in bulk. I started carrying a small container to the office. When the craving hits, I reach for my nuts instead of heading for the gate.

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The Weekly Deposit Ritual

To make the lesson stick, I turned my avoided cravings into a game. Every time I complete a week without visiting the street food stall, I "pay myself."

I calculated that I was spending about Ksh300 a week on those snacks. So, every Friday, I move Ksh400  into a dedicated mobile money lock-savings account. It’s my way of making the "invisible" money visible.

As I write this in late 2025, that account has hit Ksh24,680.

The Festive Reward

That money is currently sitting there, waiting to finance my entire festive season travel and expenses. For the first time in my working life, I won't be scratching my head in January, wondering where my December salary went.

My girlfriend is impressed, but more importantly, my perspective on money has shifted. I no longer look at 50 bob as "just change." I look at it as a seed.

If you think you don't have enough money to save for a holiday or a big goal, stop looking at your bank balance and start looking at your M-Pesa Till history. Your next vacation might be hidden in that daily snack you think you can't live without.

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