My guy, salary week no dey delay again but wetin dey delay na wetin you go do with the salary. Cus wetin you do with am go determine if you go survive reach the next salary week.
Your calculator becomes your most-used app that week. You start doing mental maths, punching numbers like you’re preparing for WAEC. Financial experts always say you should budget for money before it comes, but if we are being honest, even budgeting no dey budget again in this economy.
Prices are rising faster than your salary can keep up. How I go write “savings” for budget when Garri don turn luxury? Bread wey dem dey beg person chop before, now na for shrine dem dey price am. Before-before, beans na poor man food. Now, if you manage to cook beans and plantain, na to snap am first put for story, make people sabi say say you still dey live soft.
Sometimes you pause and ask yourself: “Am I living above my means?” But when you look closely, your expenses are basic life needs: food, transportation, rent, electricity, small data, and if you’re lucky, one or two outings in a month. You’re not even flexing. To be a minister of enjoyment in this economy na real battle.
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Every salary week, na push and postpone. You go tell yourself say, “Make I leave this one till next month.” But next month go come and na the same thing. Before you know, na December and you never buy new bedsheet since February.
But here’s the real question: when exactly do we get to enjoy our youth? If we keep pushing everything to “someday,” what’s left of the now? Life isn’t meant to be just survival mode. There should be some moments of enjoyment too, or at least peace of mind.
The economy though? Mad. Prices change like a network signal, stable for one second, then boom! Fuel price jumps, transport doubles. Dollar rates play musical chairs. You walk into the market with a list, come out with a few items and an existential crisis.
And let’s not even talk about jobs. You’ll see job ads that require five years’ experience for entry-level positions, with salaries that can’t even cover your monthly feeding. Some companies want to pay you with “exposure” and “experience.” My guy, experience no dey cook rice o.
Yet, somehow, you still try to find joy. Maybe it’s in that chilled bottle of Coke after a hot day. Maybe it’s in a small plate of suya shared with friends. Maybe it’s just laughing at memes that capture the Nigerian struggle so well.
But deep down, we all know the truth: this can’t continue forever. We can’t keep surviving on hope alone. The system needs fixing. We need leadership that prioritises the welfare of citizens over big grammar and empty promises. We need to start seeing changes in policies that reflect in pepper sellers’ prices, not just economic reports.
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Until then, survival is a skill. Salary week will come and go, and you’ll keep doing your math, weighing needs versus wants, calculating joy per Naira. But don’t forget to breathe. Don’t forget to live, even if it’s just in small doses.
And when you feel overwhelmed, remember say you no dey alone. We’re all doing this permutation together, one bank transfer, one budget, one postponement at a time.
Someday, it’ll get better. E go better. But for now? Plan well. Enjoy small. Save if you can. And hold body, because this adulting thing no be child’s play.
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