HOW TO AVOID "SAPA".
LIFESTYLE
Hello beautiful people!
Money is an integral part of our existence. Money gives us purchasing power, access to more opportunities, comfort, quality and the means to live a good and comfortable life. There is also the saying that money goes more easily than it comes. As students, I think most of us can relate. It’s a constant struggle. For those of us that live on monthly allowances, to those who get little or no support from their parents, to those who run small side husf anything, it just never seems to be enough.
Like we say around here “Sapa is real!’. In light of this, I would be demystifying money. By demystifying money, I mean exposing money for all it is; a means to an end. I’d also be revealing a few ways you can make your money work for you as a student and income earner. This piece was inspired by the newly released series, ‘’THE SMART MONEY WOMAN’’ and of course a few personal conversations I have had with my friends, together with experiences and lessons I have gathered along the way.
First off, as I stated earlier, money is simply a means to an end. Money on its own is nothing. I think once a lot of people realise this fact, the hype around money would be less. We want money for what it can get for us. As a student, this would include good food, clothing, money for educational materials amongst others.
The second thing I would like to point out especially for students who have side hustles is that the amount of money you have is equivalent to the value you offer. This simply means, if you can solve problems or meet pressing needs or have a skill that people are willing to pay for, then you will have money. Don’t get this wrong. You can have an awesome skill and yet still make nothing from it simply because you haven’t put yourself out there. But having a skill or having a business idea means you are already on track. Be valuable, build yourself, be good at what you do and you’ll earn money.
Concerning finance management, I struggled with this for a long time. In 100 level, I got a certain amount every month and honestly, it just never seemed to be enough. I would always say if I got twice as much, my life would be alright. How wrong I was! A little while later, I started to get three times as much as I used to and to my surprise, it still wasn’t enough. I know, living in Nigeria became doubly expensive but I knew there was still a problem with how well I was managing my finances. Two weeks into the month, I was already broke. Then I discovered a secret. I used to hear it but I never really made sense of it. Living below your means. Because you can afford something, doesn’t necessarily mean you should purchase it. A lot of people make this mistake. Once you start earning or getting more money than you used to, your lifestyle should not change dramatically. Of course, there should be little improvements in your diet or clothing. Eat healthily or buy a few nice things for yourself but keep it to the barest minimum. You can add to this retinue as you continue to earn or get higher amounts.
Finally, let’s not forget saving and investing. With however little you get, put some aside. You never know when those emergencies will come up. You could also try investing your money sensibly. Beware of ponzi schemes and companies or investment platforms that promise you huge ROI’s from crypto or Forex investment portfolios. It is not that easy to make huge returns on those platforms not to mention the fact that investments like these are highly volatile. Money does not come that easy. Even people engaged in fraud have to work hard and invest so many nights to get a good deal.
So, don’t be fooled. Take into consideration these few tips and you might just be on your way to financial literacy and independence.
Kufre Effiong-Robert.
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