We’re in the thick of the festive season, and it doesn’t matter whether your December is “detty” or clean; you will spend money.
But you still have to prepare for January’s 81 days of sapa, and that’s where these budgeting hacks come in.
“Have a separate expenses account” — Jade*, 26
I do this thing where I transfer the amount of money I can afford to spend per month in a separate spending account. After that, I freeze the bank app that contains my remaining funds, so I don’t take extra money when I finish my spending money.
Sometimes, I even give my friend my ATM card to hide it so I’m not tempted. This hack has helped a lot this month. I’ve spent about half of my spending money. When it’s exhausted, I’ll continue my December enjoyment inside my house.
“Go out with friends to split bills” — Nonye, 22
I made a list of all the fun places I want to try this month and shared it with my friend group so we can select the places we can visit and share the bills.
For instance, we visited a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Eve, and after sharing the bill, my share only came to ₦25k. I’d have spent like ₦40k if I’d gone alone. Plus, I got to share out of everyone’s meals instead of spending so much on one meal without variety. We also split cab fares, and I paid only ₦7k instead of the ₦32k the cab charged.
“Jump danfo bus if need be” — Emma*, 26
Cab prices have been so high this period, so I’ve returned to my danfo roots. Imagine I spent only ₦1500 using danfo for a destination that a cab charged ₦27k for. It didn’t stop me from turning up when I arrived. So, take that danfo today. The means of transportation doesn’t matter, as long as you get there and have a good time.
“Consider activities that don’t involve spending money” — Kola*, 25
My partner and I are working with a strict budget this December, but it doesn’t mean we won’t have a good time. We intend to visit parks and take home-cooked food to turn ordinary outings into picnics.
We also had an indoor movie night on Christmas Day. I moved the chairs, spread blankets on the floor, and made popcorn and fried chicken. The whole thing was free, but we created memories. Don’t let anyone pressure you to overspend this season.
“Just improvise” — Ope, 27
I can’t afford to attend concerts this year because of extremely high ticket prices and transportation costs. So, I’m improvising. To usher in the holidays, I found a mad DJ mix on YouTube and blasted it all day at home. My neighbours even joined in, and it became like a mini house party. I plan to do the same thing on New Year’s Eve. Concert or no concert, I’m having a fantastic time.
*Some names have been changed for anonymity.
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