If you want a stress free life, budget wisely.

Whether you earn ten tala or a hundred tala a week, the same principle applies.

The key is to live simply.

“Living a simple life makes everything easier for families.”

That’s the opinion of Uefa Tuifao from Faleula. 

The 65-year-old runs a small roadside market where she sells chips, koko Samoa and coconut oil (faguu) for a living. They money she earns is used to raise her family.

“Sometimes I earn about $20 tala a day,” she said.

“It’s okay for daily expenses but when it comes to allocations like church contributions and those things, we struggle.”

Uefa’s children have grown. They have their own families and she now looks after her grandchildren.

“This is my only way to help them,” she said.

“I sell chips, cocoa and oil to earn money because I can no longer do any heavy work, I’m too old now all I can do is to feed my grandkids.”

Getting back to living a simple life, Uefa says sometimes it’s best not to want to much.

She knows the cost of living is high but she says it doesn’t affect you if you don’t want to buy too many things.

“It’s our fault that we suffer sometimes,” she said.

“I we depend solely on what we sell and the money we make from it, things will be okay. But when we become greedy, that’s when problems begin.”

“For me I prefer a simple life.”

 “I try to budget well and spend money wisely. I don’t like to waste money on things I know I don’t need.”