Popular digital creator and chef Nasra Yusuff has sparked thoughtful conversations online after sharing a deeply personal reflection on financial responsibility and the struggle to set boundaries especially when it comes to lending money and footing bills for friends.
In a candid series of Instagram Stories, Nasra described her ongoing journey toward becoming more financially disciplined, admitting that it’s forcing her to unlearn long-held habits of over-giving.
“Once you start becoming financially disciplined, you automatically become stingy,” she wrote, adding that saying “no, I don’t have” had never been part of her vocabulary until recently.
Nasra opened up about the internal pressure she felt whenever a friend asked for “urgent 2K.”
The fear of appearing broke or being judged, especially as a public figure and a creative, weighed heavily on her.
“Sasa nikisema sina, ataniona aje? Msanii mzima nakosa 2K aje??” she confessed.
She revealed that her perspective is slowly shifting, especially after mentorship from a multimillionaire who challenged her to take full control of her finances starting with refusing to pay for others at restaurants unless it was within her budget.
“My mentor told me, ‘I operate on a budget, and your meal was not on my budget.’ That shook me,” she said.
Nasra, who described herself as a ‘toxic giver’ (someone who gives until they are left with nothing) admitted the concept of asking for a separate bill felt foreign, but she is now preparing to try it.
Her mentor even gave her a practical challenge: go out, eat, and confidently ask the waiter for a separate bill. She is yet to attempt it but is seeking volunteers to practice with before a final “report” is due in 1st June.
“I haven’t tried it yet, 1st june he wants a report of how it went.”
“So nauliza tu kwa mara ya pili, nani nifanye rehearsal na yeye tukule alafu niitishe separate bill? Then when I do it 3,4 times with someone who understands, sasa I do it in real life?” She posed.
Nasra also shared wisdom from her mentor on the long-term impact of giving carelessly.
“If you give out 2K every month for 30 years, that’s Ksh 720,000. No one will say you’re broke because you gave, they’ll say you were financially indisciplined,” she noted.
Nasra Yusuff ended with a heartfelt note to all the “stingy” people she once judged: “Poleni majamaa, kumbe mko tu sawa.”
By Zena Salim
