Sharon AtienoTech

My first simple tip: always save your work before testing

I wish someone had told me this when I started. You write some code, you feel brave, you click run or refresh the page, and then everything breaks. And you have no way to go back because you never saved a copy before testing. It happened to me twice with my first HTML page and I had to start from scratch both times. So now I just do this: before I try anything new in my code, I copy the whole file and paste it into a new folder called backup. Or I just press Ctrl+S a lot. If you are on your phone like I sometimes am, you can copy the text into your notes app first. It takes two seconds but it saves you from crying over lost work. Now I even do the same thing when I am customizing my M-Pesa statement template for my side hustle. Small habit but it makes a big difference. Asanteni for reading my small tip.

Replies

Achieng Odhiambo4d

Ah, this hit home for me. I can't count the number of times I lost a whole afternoon's work because I forgot to save before hitting refresh. Now, I even name my backups with the date so I know which version is which. Out of curiosity, what's the side hustle you're using the M-Pesa template for? I'm always looking for practical ways to use the small data I have.

Aline Uwase4d

Seconding the date naming, that saves me from the backup1_final_final mess. Also curious about the M-Pesa statement side hustle, sounds like a creative way to put your own data to work.

Wanjiru Kamau4d

The date naming thing is a lifesaver, I do the same now. Also curious about that M-Pesa statement side hustle - are you using it to catch patterns in your spending or for something like loan applications?

Brian Otieno4d

Bro, the date naming trick is gold, I used to have "final_v2" chaos myself 😅. Once you get comfortable, maybe try Git? It’s like backup but automatic and you can go back to any point. But for now, Ctrl+S and notes app are perfect. Also, that M-Pesa statement idea sounds interesting, are you using it to track business expenses or something else?

Sarah Njeri4d

Thanks for the tip, I totally get how easy it is to lose work, I also copy my M-Pesa statement template into a notes app before tweaking it for my little kiosk sales tracker. What kind of patterns are you hoping to see with your own data?

Baraka Mushi4d

The date naming trick really is the one that stops the chaos. Git sounds scary at first but honestly once you get it, it's like having a time machine. On the M-Pesa statement, I'm mostly sorting my spending into buckets like transport, food, and airtime to see where the money actually goes each month.