It’s never safe to put all your eggs in one basket. In addition to having a savings account, it’ll be wise to save money in other places, because you never know when technical problems or red-tapeism may deny you access to your money during an emergency.

Besides it’s smart to keep some of your money free from all those bank charges and taxes. There’s no better way to do this than to have a means of keeping some money at home. The problem is that most people don’t know how.

Here are 5 simple ways you can save some money at home and it doesn’t involve hiding your money under a rock, in a cave or in an abandoned pit.

1. Save Money using Susu Box

It is always good to have some cash stashed somewhere for out of the blue expenses. If you think susu boxes are outdated then it’s time you changed your mind. The susu box is Ghana’s answer to the piggy bank.  It’s usually a wooden box with a single tiny slot on top for dropping in your money.

The design of susu boxes ensures that your entire saved sum remains intact till you actually need it, because the only way of gaining access to the money is by breaking the susu box. A susu box can be acquired for as low as 3.00 GHC and most definitely, there are no bank charges.

Just be sure to keep your susu box hidden from inquisitive eyes.

2. Save Money with a Coin Jar

As the name suggests it’ a jar for storing coins. In addition to holding your coins it also serves as a decorative piece on your table. You can choose to cover it or not. That’s entirely up to you and how you like it.

After every work day empty your pockets, wallet or purse of all coins into the coin jar. That’s the best way to make use of it. And you can occasionally drop in some notes of smaller denominations. It’s less tempting by the way, to pilfer your own coins than it is to pilfer notes.

3. Save Money in African Prints

Mothers of the older generation already know this. Great African prints do not depreciate in value. Actually, the older they are, the ‘richer’ and more valuable they become. You can pull out a cloth that has been stashed away for years and it will still look as good as new or even better-off.

All you need to do is purchase some African prints with an amount of money you want to save and pack them into a safe storage space.

There’s always a market for African prints so when you feel hard pressed for money you can reach out for some pieces of cloth and sell them out.

4. Save Money in Jewellery

Diamonds are forever. It’s true, but gold, silver and bronze are fine too if you don’t have any diamonds. Having ‘blinks’ is not a bad investment. Many broke celebrities have been known to fall on their jewellery for some fast cash.

Most jewellery pieces are made up of precious metals which don’t corrode easily. This means that they retain their value for a long period. Have you noticed how some jewellery get passed down several generations?

If you have extra cash and you don’t know what to buy consider buying something shiny. It can save you in a time of financial need. You only have to make sure it’s safely hidden.

5. Lend to family

This is the most unreliable of the lot that’s why I’ve reserved it for last. It can work really well though if you have a family that understands the concept. You most probably have to help with finances at home, but when the amount goes beyond the budget you have set aside for family, then it’s only fair to term the extra cash you’re giving out as a loan.

Mind you, your family has to agree and accept it as a loan which they are going to pay back within a stipulated period of time. And you want to make sure they honor the agreement before you give any more out. If your family goes along with it, then you’ve got yourself a client who can’t run away with your money.

These methods can’t completely replace the banks. They are meant to supplement the banking system. It’s also meant to provide you with some easily accessible money in case of emergencies.