Realistic Ways On How To Become Financially Stable

Exactly a year ago, I made a life update blog post acknowledging that I was financially reckless. Yes, unlike a normal person who would probably create a group chat to inform their friends of how they’re going astray;I took it upon myself to announce to the whole word that, money no dey stay my hand.

Bold Fucking Move.

But was it? Because I remember thinking that publicly shaming myself would help me step up and oh boy it did. So here are a few steps I took to be on a much better financial ground…but first you have to read this post if you you haven’t yet Life Update: I Am Financially Reckless

Not to sound like a motivational speaker or anything but honestly the first point is:

You Need A Job

Guys, you need a job and shocker? At least TWO

Yesss, a regular 9-5 can be boring because we all want to be musicians but how do you expect to get bills paid or even better,how do you plan to shalaye once in a while?? Suck it up and get a job. Remote jobs in Nigeria(most especially Lagos and Abuja) are becoming a big deal and the best part is, we can all tap into it.

Find out your skills and sell it.

It Is OKAY To Say NO

In my post I am Financially Reckless, I talked about having an accountant or a checkmate(someone you run your expenses by). In my case, my friend Seunfunmi does it for me and she does so fantastically. There isn’t anything I want to buy or sell that she isn’t aware of and I am grateful for that because she has helped say NO to buying some items or making some decisions I thought were right.

Becoming financially free or at least stable, starts with discipline and in most situations when you identify yourself as the problem, you may need to ask for the help of your loved ones. It is okay to look at a product online and resist the urge to enter your card details. It is okay if you choose to save your last N5000 than to go party that weekend. It is all okay.

Budget EVERYTHING

I know! I know! It may sound ridiculous and I said so myself but budgets have saved me from embarrassing myself,times without number.

Budget EVERYTHING!

There is no shame in living according to your means. I noticed a leak in my account and I fixed it with this simple trick, I also recently started an expense sheet where I detail everything I spend my money on. You can start by using the notepad on your phone or tablet; it doesn’t have to be intense just yet.

Invest In Quality/Longevity Not Quantity

It is really funny how many times anyone could fall into this, even the brightest of minds; which is why as the weakest links we have to be very careful.

Quick story/illustration:

I have been thinking of getting a WiFi router or those very little ones so I could subscribe for an unlimited data because work has been demanding and it’s quarantine of course (my only survival is the internet). A few days into the decision I think, ‘wait but you subscribe for the N3500 MTN 20GB monthly data(which I exhaust in 7 days at most), so why can’t you just keep up with that?’. Now, I was beginning to question my option of getting a router because I felt it was a more expensive option, given that I am so used to the MTN offer but guess what? I was so wrong!. I did the calculation the other day and turns out I spend more on the MTN data than I would when I get the router. Not only am I saving myself from the struggle of subscribing every couple days, but I would also have an unlimited data(so it is hello YouTube,Netflix,Music streams and others).

So this illustration can be used when you plan on getting a new pair of shoes, jeans, hair(sis,get that hair), because the long game pays more.

Point is, in the walk to be financially responsible and save more, make sure your calculations are right. If investing a couple more bucks would get you a better offer or deal, then please go for it. We want more for less, not less for less.

Alright, that’s okay for now, I would make sure to keep you guys updated on how I try to be more financially responsible and I hope you find all my tips helpful.

Please leave a comment below letting me know how how you manage your finances as well, as we are all learning from each other.