So I decided to write something after my long hiatus #DrumRolls – inspired by the
#IdanreClass of 2016 WhatsApp group (oh Yes!) and some recent
conversations with friends on the current economic situation in Nigeria.
Anyway, like the topic suggests (quite cliché if you ask me),
I’d be giving you guys 10 useful tips on maximizing the times ~ living life in
this austerity season…(Long Post Alert *coversface*)
1. Invest – I know a lot of people will
question this but hey this is really the best time to make those long term
investments. Instead of leaving that spare cash in your account, buy a piece of
land (there are so many legitimate schemes that offer flexible payments), buy
shares of companies with prospects (speak to your stock broker/investment
advisor for this), treasury bills are also good investments for this season.
2. Look for alternatives – If you
know me, you’ll know this is my mantra! I am always shopping for deals –
compare prices on various websites that stock the items you want to purchase,
find cheaper substitutes that can offer you similar results. I’ll give an
example here; I love makeup but in this FX scarcity regime, I realized that I
could achieve same result by using Milani Compact Powder (N3,000) instead of my
usual Mac Studio Fix Powder (N18,000). YouTubers call them dupes...Lol. Basically,
apply this same principle to your everyday life especially for non-essential
items.
3. Take advantage of sales – I cannot
overemphasize this. I’m always on the lookout for sales! It’s almost becoming a
problem but I like to get good bargains so…not sorry. At sale events, you find
that you get things cheaper as sellers use those opportunities to make space
for newer items and in Lagos there are always sale events. Look out for these
events on social media – Instagram, Facebook, etc.
4. Ditch the aso-ebi – This may get people
offended but honestly, many times aso-ebi is unnecessary except the celebrant
is your very good friend or a family member. A better investment, will be
giving the couple a fraction of the aso-ebi cost as a wedding gift or even part
paying some of their vendors (a friend mentioned recently how someone supplied
about 20 cartons of water at their wedding and they were more than blessed by
that gesture). Let’s do a quick math, if your last aso-ebi cost N20K, chances
are that the total cost of attendance at that wedding was somewhere around N25K
– N40K. How do I know? Well you made that fabric for N5K – N15K, makeup/gele for
N3k – N8K, do I need to go on? I think not. The message is clear. Re-rock old
aso-ebis, invest in nice dresses that can serve multiple purposes.
5. Make trade-offs – Still talking about
aso-ebi, if you must wear that aso ebi,
you can ask to buy a fraction of the fabric e.g. 2 yards instead of
4yards (if you’re a smallie like me), buy fabric without gele etc. This helps
to save a few bucks if you ask me and YES! I do these things shamelessly with
no apology. If your goal is to look in sync with other guests, you can buy a
cheaper fabric in the same color and make something nice out of it.
6. Take advantage of cheap fun activities – I like to
have fun! Some people call me enjoyment minister but I do it on a budget. Once a while, I’d splurge to see Asa or Brymo
perform because YOLO but then
there are so many ways to have fun on a budget. If you think I’m lying, go to
Bogobiri on Thursday evenings for a relaxing atmosphere of open mic sessions,
Freedom Park or even Fuse Lounge (where you get to taste the best
cognac in the world for free) and at the same time listen to good music. There are
always deals – movie lover? Go to Genesis cinemas on Thursday, see a movie, get a small sized popcorn and a drink all for N1,200 or go on Wednesday for a N800 movie only ticket. In
fact there is a deal for every day, just ASK!
You can also check www.bellanaija.com
on Wednesdays to see where it is happening in Lagos.
7. Travel – Take advantage of group travels,
it is always cheaper to share cost than to bear them alone. One might say well
my friends are always busy when I want to travel – Not a bad idea to travel
with strangers especially because you end up making new friends and
connections. Another tip is to book your
ticket way ahead of your travel date. For instance, a friend got his return
ticket to the US for less than N300K when he booked his ticket in April for a
September travel. For more useful tips and tricks, my good friend Kemi, shared some on her blog here – http://www.kemionabanjo.com/kemi-onabanjo-30-countries-by-30/
8. Trends vs Essentials - Trends
will go out of season but essentials last over seasons. An example is buying real
gold (more expensive initially) instead of those expensive costume jewelry that
fade off after two months; buy real leather bags (doesn’t have to be a name
brand) instead of buying fancy cheap bags and purses that will start falling
off after 6 months, splurge on real human hair instead of supreme weavon, etc.
9. Weddings/Birthday Events – I recently
shared this link;https://www.bellanaija.com/2016/09/cut-your-coat-according-to-your-size-have-the-wedding-you-can-afford-practical-wedding-budget-tips-on-get-wedding-ready-with-wura-manola-watch/
to some of my friends on a WhatsApp group and I think it is still very
relevant. A friend, Oluwatosin recently confirmed on twitter that she used all
unpopular vendors for her wedding and they delivered over and beyond her
expectations. Don’t kill yourself by trying to out-do others…there’ll always be
a better/bigger/more fun wedding/birthday party. Many times, if you open up
honestly to these vendors they’ll work within your budget.
10. Finally, Give – In this economy? Yes. Remember
that quote, givers never lack? Whatever
you do, please don’t stop giving – for a good course I must add. Give time,
money, energy or whatever resources you can give as it is always more blessed
to give than to receive. There’s a lot more to say on giving but since this is
not a message on giving I’ll leave you with this scripture in Luke 6:38a “Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure,
pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your
bosom”.
The message here is balance. In the
midst of it all – busy lives, goals to achieve and everything in between, don’t
forget to live a little! Happy Independence Day everyone J! Please say a prayer for Nigeria
today!
