How Do You Spend Money?
5 Nigerian students spill the tea
Welcome to Sapa Diaries, where we get real about student struggles. This is your go-to spot for stories about money, hustle, and how students survive without breaking the bank. From budgeting tips, and saving hacks to straight up survival stories, we explore how to survive and thrive as a student without losing your mind or your wallets. This is the place where we dive into the grind, hustle and survival while keeping it relatable and real.
Money is one of those things we don’t like to talk about openly. But somehow, it rules our campus lives: from data subscriptions to cravings that sneak their way into our budget. In Part 2 of this series, we asked a few students to anonymously share what pocket money looks like for them. How much comes in, where it all disappears to, and how they’re trying (and sometimes failing) to manage it.
Check out part 1 here
1. “J-Jin”- ₦35k-₦45k/month
A 200L who is just trying to survive every day 😔
How much pocket money do you get in a month?
₦35k-₦45k
Do you think it's enough for your needs? And why?
Nope
There are other unpredictable expenses that come my way, I have to remove some other things that are sort of essential from my expense list I send to my parents, etc.
Top spends:
Food, cravings and data
Can you give a rough breakdown of how much you spend in a month?
5k - 8k for data
10k for food
10k for cravings
5k for cleaning
2k for transport
One thing you'll always find money for:
Cravings/food
Biggest impulse buy/unnecessary spending this semester:
Nothing cause the semester hasn't really started for me
What's your top budgeting survival hack?
I don't have one.
Any advice for students reading this about money?
Start making or earning money, it's not until you're in 400L or you're above a certain age.
Anything else you'd like to say to Campus Chronicles?
Thank you for this opportunity ☺️
Thank youuu
2. “Sapa tech babe”-₦60k-₦70k/Month
An upcoming tech babe who likes to spend money she has not even seen.
How much pocket money do you get in a month?
₦60k ₦70k
Do you think it's enough for your needs? And why?
No. Where do I even start from, if you break it down welllll it cannot do shishi
Is it data or food or random weird bills. No way
Top spends:
Food, Data, Transportation
Can you give a rough breakdown of how much you spend in a month?
Food - 45k
Data - 9k
Transportation-10k
Toiletries -6k…
One thing you'll always find money for:
Food, food is so necessary, once i know there's no money again I'll just start crying
Biggest impulse buy/unnecessary spending this semester:
Novels. The prices of novels are crayy crayyy, who sent meeeeeeee😭😭😞 15k on one novel, I thought i was Dangote fr
What's your top budgeting survival hack?
Buy data monthly, that always on plan. Data is like a slient money eater 500 here 900 there and boom you've spent 6k in a week.
Any advice for students reading this about money?
Anything you could buy monthly please buy, that mid-month brokeness can move you mad. Plus have food for rainy days for some it's cereal, for some it's garri just get something
Anything else you'd like to say to Campus Chronicles?
Omooooo
That omooo is real!!
3. “Data buyer student”-₦30k/Month
A 400l student whose money seems to be sucked away by data
How much pocket money do you get in a month?
₦30k from parents
Do you think it's enough for your needs? And why?
No it is nottttttt. I try to be very mindful but I always end up scrambling at the end of the month
Top spends:
Data, transport, snacks( on the go in school)
Can you give a rough breakdown of how much you spend in a month?
3k for tithe, about 10k in savings (even though I always 'borrow' from it at a point in the month), about 9k for transportation ( an average of 300 every day), the rest is for my data and snacks.
One thing you'll always find money for:
Data. I need to be online
Biggest impulse buy/unnecessary spending this semester:
I went out with a friend to get shawarma and cake 😅
What's your top budgeting survival hack?
Allocating my money to it's respective places immediately. I send my tithes and savings almost immediately I get it but helps me get a picture of what I have left and helps me manage
Any advice for students reading this about money?
If you can, get a side hustle. Get an accountability partner. Allocate your moneyyyy
Anything else you'd like to say to Campus Chronicles?
You are doing well my love. I am rooting for you
Awwwn…Thank youu!
4. “I don't know mehn”-₦50-₦60k/Month
Omo, just a girl, who despite lot of business ideas, is too confused on how to start, and bills her siblings a little too much. Also, impulse spending seems like the weapon fashioned against my finances.
How much pocket money do you get in a month?
Like monthly? There isn’t a fixed price, but it’s usually about ₦50-₦60k
Do you think it's enough for your needs? And why?
For needs? Yes. But for other desires, Noo.😭
Top spends:
Food, self care and data.
Can you give a rough breakdown of how much you spend in a month?
I honestly can’t. I spend impulsively a lot of time.
One thing you'll always find money for:
I would have said snacks, but I think it’d be data.
Biggest impulse buy/unnecessary spending this semester:
Clothes, self care products(perfumes, lipglosses, and certain skincare products) and yes! Some not so nice meals.
What's your top budgeting survival hack?
Do I have?😭 Well, sometimes when I receive a huge amount, that exceeds the expected amount I receive, I usually ensure to save a lot for rainy days. Like lock the money in a saving account. It actually works for me. Some other times, I keep with a friend.
Any advice for students reading this about money?
Omo, I need advice myself.😭 I think I’d say avoid impulse buying!!
Anything else you'd like to say to Campus Chronicles?
Well-done to the person behind the platform! I love how this whole thing is going.🫶🏽
Thank you for your words. Big shoutout to
5. “Whimsical baby”-₦70-₦100k/Month
I'm a 300 level student. Everything seems like a good and reasonable buy when there's money in my account. I don't know how my allowance never lasts a week.
How much pocket money do you get in a month?
₦70,000 to 100,000
Do you think it's enough for your needs? And why?
Nope.
Have you seen the economy?
Top spends:
Food, Data, Snacks
Can you give a rough breakdown of how much you spend in a month?
8k for data, sometimes more. Thank God for the school WiFi.
About 40k for food. Definitely more.
5k for transport
One thing you'll always find money for:
Food and data
Biggest impulse buy/unnecessary spending this semester:
Food. Definitely food.
What's your top budgeting survival hack?
Ummmmm.
Any advice for students reading this about money?
Ignore the devil on your shoulder
Anything else you'd like to say to Campus Chronicles?
Spend the moneyyyy
Which Money please?😅
……..
A lot of you have asked, and now it’s here!
Our free budget tracker with automatic calculations to help you track your income and spending without stress.
If you’ve ever found budgeting hard or struggled to keep up with where your money goes, this is for you. It’s student-friendly, easy to use, and comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Because Campus Chronicles is all about making studenthood a little easier.
Access it here (request access and give us a moment to approve)
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What story is your favourite guys?😅
And thank you CC for the expense tracker :))))))