You vs Tinubu’s Economy

A lesson in SAPA prevention tactics

You found this on Twitter, didn\’t you? Or WhatsApp, while you were scrolling. After screenshotting ten wigs, fifteen shoes, five new laptops and eleven thousand platters of food.

Did we interrupt your scrolling? You know you should be doing Professor Kinikan’s reading assignment but you\’re here…you don dey vex?
Oya sorry. Finish reading nau, we\’re going somewhere with this.

‘I see it. I like. I want it. I put it back.’

The student national anthem, courtesy of  Tinubus\’s economy.  You\’ve become the Charles Babbage of Tejuosho market, the human calculator. Before the fish seller even calculates how much the fish is, you have already multiplied it, divided it by half and now you\’re asking to pay 1,500 for fish the seller told you is 4,000. Don\’t you fear God?

But then again, this economy no dey fear God either.

It\’s the same when you pick up a bottle of something from the supermarket shelf. You see it, you like it, you check the price, you put it back. Or you get to the cashier and you see 7k on the receipt. What did you buy? On top one refill of milk and two bars of soap?

Life no suppose tough reach like this nau. Surviving university is a full-time job and is extra hard for those who have to support themselves. What then can you do to cope with the massive price increase that is choking everybody?

TFS dey for you. Here are some tested and trusted tips to stay afloat in this economy:

1.  Buy from the lesser-known brands:

Big and popular brands are tested, approved and trusted but you will soon sell your kidney if you don\’t switch to a cheaper brand. Besides, with the amount of sugar you\’re putting inside your yam, how long do you think you will last before you become diabetic?

We understand that you\’re sceptical about quality and honestly, your fears are not unfounded but as a general rule, brands that are just starting cannot afford the luxury of fixing prices the way brands that have been around for a long time can. Switch your Golden Penny for Aunty B today. Niké dey for you, na you dey find Nike. They will eventually begin to charge at the standard price but till then, take advantage of the lower prices.

2. Buy your non-perishables in bulk from wholesalers

The reason your allowance finished on January 15th is not the one carton of noodles you bought on the 2nd, sir. Twenty naira bouillon cube here, 50 naira onions there and 20 naira for bank charges every single day and you are wondering how your money finished?
The expenses you dismiss as small small change disappear from your bank account without you noticing.
Before you know it, 25k has turned to 2,500. Meanwhile, you think all you bought is one carton of noodles and one big yoghurt. Some of you even switched from Access to Opay because of bank charges but now you\’re eating those charges. So, what\’s the difference?

1000 naira is still just 20 naira in fifty places. You would be surprised at how much you can save by buying a whole pack of bouillon cubes or soda (for those that can afford it) from the wholesaler rather than buying ten bottles in one day from your hostel bursary (You have a sugar problem by the way if you do this, but we\’re not judging).

3. DIY, everything you can DIY! Especially your food

Half a kilo of chicken is probably around 1,800. Buy and fry. Stop buying one drumstick for 1000. It is not every day you have to eat stir fry spaghetti. You no go like chop fufu today? Ehn? At least that one is not more than 100 naira per wrap 😂.

When you buy in bulk, and learn how to use leftovers creatively, you save a lot of money by cooking. Make student budget-friendly soups like ogbono and make eba, take off your wig and enjoy. Good food doesn\’t always have to be expensive.

4. Look for cheaper alternatives to substitute for the things you love

Coke is now expensive? You no go like drink zobo? You feel like eating shawarma today? Get your roommates to contribute, buy ingredients in bulk and put your frying pan on fire – homemade shawarma. Better still buy bread and suya and do the needful. You\’re welcome. Use more eggs than beef in your food. Protein na still protein.

5. Buy the things you can do without with lesser frequency

We understand that you love sausage but what will you do now that one pack has become 2,400? Ehn, fine boy? If you cannot think of something to fill the gap, remove sausages from your weekly budget and make it a bi-weekly expense. You\’re still spending the same amount on sausages. You\’ll still eat them but just not as much.

6. Plan your meals and be creative with foodstuff you have on hand

And make your plans realistic. Don\’t put amala for dinner on Thursday evening when you know your marathon classes end at 6 pm on Friday. You can decide you want to eat jollof on the fly but then you find out that you don\’t have tomato paste after putting rice on fire. Making meals on the fly will result in unplanned expenses. Unplanned expenses = sapa.

Be creative with meals. Your groundnut oil has finished and you want to make jollof rice, make it native rice instead. Life no suppose hard.

With these few points of ours, we hope we\’ve been able to convince you and not confuse you that you can eat well in this economy, afford to buy a new laptop for your project and e still no go beat you.

Ready, set, fight!

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