MY NYSC MONEY STORY
Sapa is a special breakfast best served hot
Money has varying experiences in the hands of its users, some are common. For example, it is common for money to be spent on purchasing goods, but an uncommon user experience when it comes to luxury. A common experience to buy a toothbrush but an uncommon experience to buy a car. leggedezzbenz
My knowledge of money bagged a degree last year. I invested myself in what is term Financial Education- an intentional attempt to gather useful & accurate information about money and its life application. Get some!
SAPA, hustle, broke, cash-out, PONZI, extra income, passive income, unemployed, became slangs I quickly got accustomed to.
It is pretty impossible not to have experienced any of these as a Nigerian, especially one living in Nigeria.
I recently finished my service year and beyond all my years, I handled money the most during this period. Initially, I thought I would save more than 50% of my alawee. But as the economy deepened in inflation, so did my account balance, in poverty.
To the shame of the devil I was able to save and invest more than 80 thousand naria. Could I have done more?
Yes!
I used my youth service to tell what kind of lifestyle I wanted for myself. I learnt a lot about how I related to money in terms of- making it, managing it and multiplying it. Making it was the hardest.
33,000 naria looks like a lot of money when you compound it for 11 months, but a lot of factors erodes it’s value in both the short run and long run.
Before I went for my NYSC, I had started writing my financial goals and studying investments and savings. I want to be financially independent. This has always been my goal since I was 10.
I want to be able to afford my lifestyle, help a lot of people financially and build a sustainable system that can grow the economy of my country, Nigeria.
I too dey dream, nobody needed to tell me.
I planned and studied on right investment options, but the thing that was hindering me from being the next Warren Buffet was, I had no CURRENT INCOME and no income meant, I was broke.
I had a few once in a blue moon jobs with little to no pay and I’m not really a “ask daddy for money babe” In order words, I was a BROKE GIRL with BIG DREAMS.
(except in urgent situations- Don’t be like me, ask your parents for help- at least to kick start)
March 2021, I went for NYSC (with less than 20k in personal savings). Towards the end of camp, I was paid my first Federal Allawee- a whooping sum of 33k plus 3,800.
I felt big for a while, though (if you factor in my transport fare back home, my tithe, offering, clothing, hair, feeding etc), I was left with nothing worth the excitement
19, 500K was a much bigger amount then compared to the 33K Corpers are paid today.
Carefully spending, I was very conscious of my big investor dreams. Now that I was 36,800 richer, I started making small investments with financial apps like Cowrywise’s mutual fund, Risevest, Bamboo, etc.
Although, in 2020 I started a mutual fund investment with Cowrywise- chicken change if I’m being honest. Nevertheless, a baby step I’m still today grateful for.
Over 11 months of earning 33k and 15K from the Federal and State governments respectively, I saved and invested close to 100, 000 naria in a portfolio of stocks, fixed income and real estate. Talk about boss moves.
Mind you things are as smooth as they sound because I served in a village. Cost of living was on average (although more expensive than expected, but manageable)
I went into the big leagues when I bought a small pie of MTN stocks and got paid my first dividend. My mutual fund investment with Cowrywise was also paying quarterly dividends, which I thought wise to auto re-invest- I’m thinking long-term
I also began saving and investing in dollars. I set aside money for emergencies and my business. I even bought stocks for my business.
I was impressed with myself, the baby steps of an investor. However, I felt l could be doing more.
Once you start investing you never want to stop.
It was then I knew I needed to increase my earning power(a situation I’m presently in). The more I earn, the more “good investment” I can take on and achieve my financial goals.
The environment I lived in didn’t provide me with the opportunity of increasing my earnings. I passed on good jobs with high pay and because of this, I was reliant on my “allawee” and low paying jobs from friends.
Nevertheless, this author is grateful.
Investment circle
My baby steps had an enormous effect on those around me. For some reason talking about money, investment, etc., makes people think “you’re in money” Our African mentality is what is killing us, sincerely.
Hence, everyone inside and outside my circle wanted to know how I “secured the bag” In translation, everyone wanted to know how “I was living well off 75 thousand naria monthly”, aside from days I got gigs.
The trick was money management and investment boss moves. I didn’t essentially have a boss move account balance, but I made boss moves.
At the end of my Youth Service, five [5] serious-minded Youth Corpers started investing and more than fifteen [15] others began managing their money properly, based on some of my recommendations.
I was happy my decision to be SMART about my money had impacted those in my community. This has birthed my money circle, The Beginner Investor Course and financial literacy club for people who want to get started in investment and need help getting started.
I’m still a long way from being a hot-shot investor with a fat account balance, but with these baby steps and the help of my mentors in the field, I can only expect the best life.
This article is just my little way of encouraging you not to despise the days of little beginnings and take your finances seriously, especially if you fall into either of these categories: about to graduate from university, going in/ coming out of service, working and earning.
Be SMART with money or money will be smart with you.
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