Bhubaneswar, Nov. 9: When the Prime Minister made his demonetisation announcement last night, many hailed it as a step towards financial progress for the country. In the city, too, a revelation was in store.

Piggy bank savings by homemakers in the city came to the fore.

Puspalata Mishra, 55, does not have a bank account. So, she had stashed away Rs 40,000 in neat bundles of Rs 500 notes in her cupboard as savings. Mishra, a humanities graduate, said she does not have a bank account because she believes in the piggy bank form of savings. "You cannot access money saved in banks always, just like now. So, I prefer to keep my savings in cash. That way it comes in handy during emergencies," she said. When she heard the announcement of demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 rupee notes, the 55-year-old homemaker was confused and "forced" to confide in her husband.

"When I came to know about the news, I called my husband to know the details. As I do not have a bank account, so I kept the savings at home. I felt like I was in a big mess so had to tell my husband," said Mishra.

Mishra's husband said he rarely interferes in household matters and has no knowledge of them. "I give her the money and then I know she will handle everything. Sometimes, if she requires extra amounts, I give it to her. I never thought she could save so much from the little amount that I give her," said her husband.

Seema Samantray, a humanities graduate, is a homemaker who stays at IRC Village. She had saved around Rs 25,000 from the money her husband gives her every month to go on a trip with her friends in December.

"The first thing that I do after my husband gives the monthly amount is to analyse the cash and control it wherever possible. I often buy discounted products and serve meals with proper planning. I did not want to bother my husband so was saving from the expenses since the last six months," said Seema.

Manish Samantray, her husband, said he was "amazed" at how well his wife knew how to manage the home finances.

"I feel lucky that I have got a wife who is so aware about money matters. She knows the right places to save. I am going to make sure that her savings are safe and get it exchanged soon," said Manish.

Hina Doshi, a matriculate, was worried when she heard the PM's speech. She was initially reluctant to tell her husband about her savings. "Every time I told him, he would take the money from me on some pretext. So, I stopped telling him anything over the last few months," she said.

Hina's daughter-in-law Monalisa Doshi, an MA in political science, said: "I face similar problems with my husband. So, my mother-in-law and I have a common saving. Unfortunately, we had to confide in the men of the family, who have promised to help us," added Monalisa, who had saved the money for emergencies.

Hina and Monalisa live in a business household, where men manage banks transactions.