In Zambia, poor people cope with chronic finnancial volatility, which drives every aspect of their short- and long-term decision-making. Zambians embrace a culture that upholds values of responsibility and caution in the light of this volatility and the widespread diculty of making ends meet. They value the importance of savings, and store money away whenever they can. They are careful about taking a line of credit, for fear of the social stigma and their ability to pay it back. They budget, even though realities might force them o course.