Save That Money! 6 Practical Tips for the Single Man

Save That Money! 6 Practical Tips for the Single Man

The average Nigerian dude (not necessarily the f*ckboy) wants to ball. You can’t really judge them either, because…you only live once. YOLO!

Monday to Thursday: you stay on the hustle, money must be made.

Fridays nights: back to back clubbing with the babes.

Saturdays: wedding and after party then lounge/drinking time with your bros.

Sundays: big boy brunch at Oriental and football time at the bar later in the day.

The lifestyle is the dream; however, except you have your own business or solid inheritance somewhere, this lifestyle cannot be sustainable -especially, if you are still a bachelor.

Even when they follow the best financial advice available (they work hard, spend less than they earn, save and invest) quite a percentage of single men still find they have to live pay cheque to pay cheque – with no savings.

Of course, this does not in any way imply that all the unattached men in Nigeria are flunking their finances or are in a hopeless position when it comes to money. Some men just face specific challenges, when it comes to managing their cash.

The state of the country’s economy plays a huge role in this dreary financial picture; as such, opting for just the basics when it comes to making financial changes may not be ideal.

Single dudes should consider taking on some of these hands-on money rules:

Rent must not exceed half of your monthly earnings

Yes, you want to live alone, have your own place and be independent, but you should not spend a fortune or run into debt renting an apartment. Ensure your monthly rent is not more than half of your total earnings per month. For instance, if you earn N100,000 per month ensure you do not rent a place that costs more than N25,000 per month. This means that you would be looking out for a space that would possibly cost you N300,000 per year.

It’s easy to get sold on the dream of emancipation from parents and total independence, but if it’s going to jack up your bills, it’s probably not a wise financial move. If you must rent a space, consider getting flatmates and move up from there.

Opt for hobbies that don’t require an upkeep cost

As a dude, you have a number of hobbies and activities you engage in, to keep life eventful and interesting. It could be fitness, or just games for leisure. The thing is, a number of these hobbies require ongoing upkeep costs; from club membership dues, to cost of supplies, uniforms, and even trips/get-togethers.

While it is definitely alright to have hobbies, just make sure you go for one that requires minimal maintenance or even none at all. For instance, no matter how much you love golf, you may want to put that off for later, when you are more finically stable. Not only do you have to register to use the golf course, you have to get the outfits and the need for fresh supplies are almost endless. You may want to consider alternatives like playing music, on an instrument you already have, or even football with friends or colleagues.

Cut down on eating out

Yes, you want to join in on the Sunday brunches with colleagues; you want to prove to your girlfriend, who loves fancy food, that you are enough for her; you also want to order from ‘The Place’ like your colleagues, instead of brining something homemade or buying from the lady across the road and being the “stingy” or “low-class” one. But if you are concerned with upgrading your financial status, you will have to skip these splurges. They seem small, but actually, they accumulate and take a toll on your finances. You will be surprised to find out that sometimes, the cost of the daily take-out is what, over time, separates the rich dude from everyone another dude the wrong side of the thin money line.

Acquire cars based on reliability and fuel efficiency…otherwise, use public transport

There is the assumption that owning a car makes a dude more appealing. Before using your life’s savings to buy a car, you must at least consider two factors.

Ask yourself: how reliable is the car? How fuel-efficient is it? Answering these questions lets you know if you would be actually making an investment by buying the car, or acquiring a liability.

This is because fuel bills and repair bills are serious money drainers when you own a car. Do not just jump and buy any car just because it is cheap and it still moves. If you cannot say for sure that it is reliable and fuel-efficient, get on with public transport. And by public transport, I don’t mean Uber and Taxify.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with commuting to work in a bus or keke napep. It is actually a better option as it is incredibly faster in rush-hour traffic. It’s also cheaper when you consider the fuel, oil and other maintenance costs of running the car. You save more and you upgrade yourself financially.

When shopping, use the 30-day rule

Believe it or not, shopping is not a “girl” thing. Guys love to shop too. When shopping – online or in-store, it is important that you adhere to the 30-day rule. The rule simply implies that you wait 30 days after your first serious impulse before buying the expensive item, no matter how essential you think it is. Waiting 30-days give you enough time to do research and ascertain the impact it could have on you financially, and whether you even really want it or not. Sometimes we are deluded by brief fascination and end up spend a lot of money on something that we will never use and may not improve our lives in any way.

The 30-day rule gives you the time to come back to reality and make the sane decision.

Don’t borrow money to invest

Every financial guru will tell you to invest your money in something, if you want to be financially stable in future.

While this is great advice, you must also ensure that you do not use borrowed money (money that is not originally yours) to invest…no matter how lucrative the investment seems or how much of an asset you assume it will be.

In the case where the investment you want to make is either a fixed deposit or bond, you will eventually find that the dividends may not able to match the rate of interest you pay on the loan. Again, even investments, such as equities, that offer higher returns, can be too risky.

By Nkem Ndem 
nkemndemv@gmail.com

6 Inexpensive Ways to Celebrate Workers

Workers are the life wire of any organisation. They are the ones who ensure that your day-to-day business operations work smoothly and uninterrupted. Hence, it is important to celebrate your workers so that they will continue giving their best. There is an opportunity now for you to appreciate them. It is worker’s day which is usually commemorated on the 1st of May of every year. So, if you have been wondering how to celebrate your employees or workers, Jumia Travel and Jumia Mobile Week share inexpensive and affordable ways to do this.

Say ‘thank you’

Saying thank you to workers may be considered as one of the most ridiculous and simplistic ways to celebrate workers. Regardless, if you have a boss that has never said thank you for a job well done, you will definitely be happy if he or she unexpectedly says thank you. It can go a long way in encouraging your workers to do more. However, do not to restrict your thank you to May 1st only.

Throw a party or take them to lunch

You can also throw a small office party where there will be music, foods and drinks. And if you don’t want to throw a party, you can take all of them for lunch at one of those fancy restaurant located in Niger Palace. You will notice the excitement and glow on their faces.

Host a friendly contest

Hosting a contest in the office can also be a way to celebrate employees. This will give them the opportunity to bond and get to know more about one another.

Present personalised gifts

You can also go out of your way to present personalised gifts to workers. Be assured that anything you present no matter how small will be appreciated. A greeting card wishing them happy worker’s day can go a long way.

Offer them shopping discount

Depending on your business, you can create a link specifically for your workers. Through the link, they can shop for any discounted items of their choice. Of course, they cannot get these items at that same discounted price elsewhere.

Take them to the beach

Workers day is a public holiday in Nigeria. You can invite all your workers and support staff for a beach party at Elegushi among other beaches in Lagos. Ensure you give them a treat!

By Adeniyi OGUNFOWOKE
PR Associate at Jumia Travel
+2348090747241

6 Ways To Deal With Insecurities

Insecurities have a way of interfering with our lives in very inconvenient and sometimes frustrating ways. This is why the need to deal with them can’t be overemphasized. Jumia Travel and Jumia Mobile Week share 6 ways to successfully deal with insecurities.

Vocalize Your Self-Critical Thoughts

The primary fuel for insecurities is the critical inner voice people have formed concerning certain area(s) of their lives out of painful or difficult life experiences. You need to learn to vocalize these self-critical thoughts or write them down in the second person, so rather than saying “I’m fat. I’m ugly”, you would instead say, “You’re fat. You’re ugly”. This process will help you separate these vicious attacks by seeing them as an external enemy or force, rather than your real point of view.

Expose the Critical Self Thoughts

What insights and reactions do you have when you separate yourself from those critical self thoughts? Do they remind you of anyone or any specific thing from your past? Asking yourself these questions will eventually help you discover the relationship between these insecurities and early life experiences. After this, it will be easier to understand why they are there and will be much easier to address them, reject them and move on from them.

Make Connections

After exposing the critical self thoughts, you should settle down and make connections between the voice attacks and your present day behaviors. You need to ask yourself, “How are these voice attacks or critical thoughts influencing my behaviors?”, “What are these attacks or insecurities making me do, or what are they holding me back from doing?”, “What events trigger these voice attacks?”, “In what areas are my insecurities most influential?”.

Stand Up to Your Insecurities

People often struggle with this process, but it requires determination and a strong will to be free of these insecurities. You have to decide that enough is enough. Once you’ve exposed the critical self thoughts, it’s time to confront them and respond to these critical voice attacks. You respond to these voice attacks strictly and confront them with statements about who you want to be, not what the voice says you are. You can also respond to the attacks the way you would a friend – with compassion and kindness.

Your Feelings Don’t Dictate Your Reaction

Standing up to your insecurities means that you understand that the fact that you might still feel insecure doesn’t matter. Insecurities aren’t feelings; they are mindsets you have to deal with. Stop being emotional about it and concentrate on getting rid of that mindset. Keep saying ‘no’ to the mindset, keep rejecting the insecure mindset until it’s gone.

Avoid Your Triggers or Learn to Live With Them

Once you’ve identified your triggers of insecurity, it will be easier to avoid them if you can. However, if you can’t avoid them, the next thing is to learn to live with them. This is also easy but requires a bit more effort. We are not born with insecurities, insecurities are learned behaviours; it’s only that they are learned unconsciously. Learning to live with your insecurities means taking active steps to learn new behaviours around your triggers to override the ones that fuel your insecurities. Over time (30 days according to scientific research), the triggers will lose their effect on you. But you have to be determined and not give up throughout the process.

By Damilola Ojo
PR Associate Jumia Travel
+2348101556883

Birthday Message To Eyitayo Jegede by Yemifash

BIRTHDAY LETTER TO THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE, EYITAYO JEGEDE SAN.

April 26 2017.

Dear Sir,


I am writing to wish you a happy birthday and to thank you for your service to Humanity, thank you for your brave and fearless leadership you are an inspiration and I hope you have many more years to keep the good work.

You are a fantastic role model for all those seeking to understand how to make an impact with their life, you have proven yourself to be a leader of ethics and morality.

You have exhibited uncommon wisdom, remarkable vision, and exemplary leadership, you have been a role model and an example of selfless giving to this generation and I am proud to hold you as someone worthy of emulation.

You have been an inspiration to progressive youths like me as we strive to improve our democracy, there is no better time to appreciate and congratulate you than on the occasion of your birthday.

Today I join other well-wishers to celebrate your life, I wish you many more years in your mission to change lives. HAPPY BIRTHDAY sir.


Oluyemi Fasipe
@YemieFash

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/04/encomium-eyitayo-jegede-marks-birthday/

Niger Delta, maginalisation and marginal oil fields

Written by the Editorial Board of The Guardian Newspaper

The report the other day that the Federal Government plans to defuse tension in the oil-rich but volatile Niger Delta area by awarding indigenes of the region marginal oil fields, is not just intriguing, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth as it represents another tokenism to which the marginalised region has been historically treated.

According to the strategic peace and conflict resolution plan, the deal is said to be in line with the government’s larger objective of reducing major incidents of restiveness by about 90 per cent by next year. Over the years, there have been agitations over oil resource ownership, which have become intense with reports backed with data that about 90 per cent of deep-water viable oil blocks and marginal oil fields are in the hands of elements from parts of the country other than the oil bearing area.

If the plan comes through, the ownership structure of the nation’s petroleum assets will begin to change hands and subsequently the restive host region, which has for decades suffered economic deprivation and environmental degradation on account of these resources, will be part of the ownership structure. Besides, the security of the assets will be guaranteed, in this connection.

This is the new gospel of peace building in the volatile region, according to the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who disclosed the deal recently in Lagos at the Oil and Gas Trade Group Roundtable organised by the Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC). According to the minister, the plan is part of the larger “stability incentive scheme” under “a harmonised holistic development plan for the Niger Delta.”

On the big plan, Kachikwu said: “This will include creating stability incentive schemes – jobs, investments, contracting opportunities for the zone, and the use of marginal fields’ allocations to state governments and indigenes to help reduce tension and get buy-in without excluding the rest of the country.” The minister also promised that government would sustain institutional engagements with stakeholders in the Niger Delta region to nip agitations in the bud, while promising greater transparency in the industry’s operations.

Despite these sweet promises, Nigerians are concerned about the sustainability and viability of government’s efforts to sustain peace process in the area. What is more, while the gesture to include indigenes in the allocation of marginal oil fields seems desirable, how far can such allocations go in this age when the oil industry is facing various strains and stresses in the international market? This gesture, therefore, is mere tokenism when it is considered that it is only the power elite in the region that may be the beneficiaries of the new deal. The same big men in the area have been advocating this sharing formula instead of pursuing a strategic development agenda that will make the Niger Delta region a reference point in the development of critical infrastructure as in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital built from scratch since 1976 with revenue from the Niger Delta area. There are, indeed, no reasons to trust the power elite from the area, as they have been the major drivers of the ad-hoc development plans from OMPADEC through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs. All of these interventionist establishments have not made much difference in the area.

Unfortunately, at this time when the bait of marginal oil fields is being dangled before Niger Delta’s elite, the future of the oil sector is uncertain as inherent challenges are mounting with volatile prices and disappearing markets. Besides, alternatives to petroleum are being developed and some old buyers (importers) of the products such as the United States have become exporters.

Government can aim for peace in the Niger Delta region, but it should not seek to achieve that without dispensing justice. Without justice and equity for the area, the peace process will not endure.

In the main, the emphasis being placed on oil blocks by the government should be seen for what it is: a blackmail against the Niger Delta people.

Sixteen demands were presented to the President when the area’s elders met the president a few months ago. Some of the major demands included the community’s involvement in oil management, relocation of corporate and operational headquarters of multinational oil companies to Niger Delta, fiscal federalism, among others.

The demand for oil blocks was just a subsidiary. The basis for the subsidiary demand is that over the years when the military was in power, leaders used their discretional powers to award so many oil blocks to certain people while the Niger Delta people who own the oil did not have the same privilege.

The weightier matter of governance is how to dream big for the Niger Delta and all of Nigeria beyond oil resource appropriation, allocation and sharing unjustly by the central government in a warped federal system. Even as posterity or indeed history reserves a harsh verdict for past leaders of Niger Delta extraction who have wasted unlimited opportunities to improve the lot of the people, there should be a realistic and big agenda for the Niger Delta. Above all, political leaders from the area and those who desire peace in Nigeria should also note that the most pragmatic solution that all Nigerians will benefit from is a recourse to (fiscal) federalism that will make regional development plans easier within the context of resource and land ownership in a proper federation.
Nigeria is a member of the Forum of Federation with its headquarters in Canada. But what is practised in Nigeria today is still too far from federalism. It is over-centralisation. And that is why a leader can sit down in Abuja and allocate oil blocks to privileged citizens at his own whim and caprice.

Even if most of the oil blocks are allocated to Niger Delta, that will not bring peace and justice to Nigeria. Only federalism in its purest form can.

6 Things To Consider Before Renting An Apartment For The First Time

When you become a part of the private rented sector for the first time, there are a number of things you have to consider to ensure you are not cheated and that you’re in a secure and safe tenancy. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 6 things you as a first time renter should consider before renting an apartment.

Tenancy Contracts

Though they tend to be long, confusing and full of legal jargon, it is important to avoid the temptation of just skipping to the end and signing it without reading. A tenancy contract is a legally binding document that mandates your landlord to do certain things that you definitely should be aware of to avoid being taken by a rude surprise.

Upfront Costs

It’s easy for first-time renters to forget that aside monthly or yearly rent, there are also upfront costs of renting an apartment and you’ll almost always have to complete the payment of the costs before you can move into the apartment. You should prepare and plan ahead for these costs to avoid a rude shock in this area.

Long Term Costs

Aside monthly or yearly rent, there are other utility payments like electricity, water etc. that you have to consider. You need to be sure if certain utilities are covered by your rent and provided for or if you will have to either source for them or pay for them.

Take a Meter Reading Before Signing on the Dotted Line

Landlords are fond of passing on previous electricity bills to new and unsuspecting tenants. Ensure you are not a victim of this by taking a meter reading of the electricity meter when you come to inspect the house. You can also request to see evidence that electricity bills have been paid to date and there are no outstanding bills left for you to shoulder. Please ensure you do this to avoid being charged by PHCN for electricity previous tenants used.

Safety and Appearance of the Neighbourhood

Many first-time renters often get carried away with the excitement of renting their first apartment and forget to assess the safety of the neighbourhood their renting the apartment in. Please ensure you do not make this mistake. Landlords will hardly be truthful or sincere about the safety of the neighbourhood of their apartments, so you have to ask around and make necessary enquiries. You can talk to one or two people who live and work around the area to get information about what the area is really like.

Accessibility

Try to get an apartment that has an easy or relatively easy access to public transportation, provision stores, medical facilities or anything else you consider important to your living situation. This will help make life in the apartment easier for you.

By Damilola Ojo
PR Associate Jumia Travel
+2348101556883

READ MORE Who is Emmanuel Macron, favourite to become France's next president?

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Who is Emmanuel Macron, favourite to become France's next president?

Many of the wives of French leaders have found a place in the history books: Queen Marie-Antoinette’s lavish spending contributed to the fall of the French monarchy in the late 18th century and Empress Josephine was divorced because she couldn’t give Napoleon an heir. In 1914, Prime Minister Joseph Caillaux’s wife Henriette killed the editor of the newspaper Le Figaro because he was a political threat to her husband.

If the Macrons become the next residents of the Elysee palace, Brigitte will join a list of colourful first ladies.

In the 1980s and 1990s, while Socialist president Francois Mitterrand led a double life with the mother of his illegitimate daughter Mazarine, his wife Danielle had a love life of her own. Bernadette Chirac suggested to a biographer that she silently put up with the many infidelities of her husband Jacques, while Nicolas Sarkozy’s wife Cecilia left him for her lover just six months after he took office in 2007. In 2014, President Francois Hollande’spartner Valerie Trierweiler published a bitter tell-all book on him after his liaison with actress Julie Gayet became public.

For Macron and his wife, the challenge if he takes office in May will be to not let their unusual personal history — the couple’s age difference is the same as Donald and Melania Trump, only in reverse — become a distraction. The next French president enters a post-Brexit vote, post-Trump-election world facing a domestic economy that has made an anaemic recovery with an unemployment rate still at 10 percent.

An outspoken 5-foot-4 inch former high school French literature and Latin teacher, Brigitte comes from a bourgeois family, named Trogneux, renowned for its chocolate factory in the Northern French town of Amiens. She was a drama coach at the private Jesuit school in the town in 1992 when she met 15-year-old Macron. He acted in her theatre pieces, with their association slowly developing into a romance that pushed her to divorce her husband and the father of her three children. 

“We don’t have a classic family, that’s an undeniable reality”

Even after more than a decade-long marriage, their extraordinary union raises eyebrows and is bound to draw attention if and when the Elysee palace spotlights are turned on them.  

Source: Independent 

God Loves You

God Loves You

Author: Emode Victor

A Promise For You From Bible Promises:

Topic: God Loves You[24/04/17]

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16. Read: Jn 3:13-19

The best person to explain the wrath of God better is the one that has experienced it before being saved. Invariably, the best person to explain the Love of God is the one who has or is experiencing it. Beloved, I (I don't know about you) have experience God’s love practically, in fact, I am the embodiment of God’s love. Apart from dying to save me on the cross, He has so much lavish His love on me beyond my comprehension. Has anyone ever told you "God loves you"? Just as we said yesterday that, when God blesses you, He causes everything to work for your good even in famine. Also when God loves you, He makes everyone to be in love with you and when this happens, help naturally comes your way.

God loves you more than you love yourself. His love for you caused Him His only begotten son - Jesus Christ. No one can love you like the way God does. His love for you is eternal, nothing can diminish it. He doesn't want you separated from Him, He wants you saved to escape Hell-fire prepared for Satan and his fallen angels. God needs you in heaven, therefore, disappoint Satan (who doesn't want you to make heaven) who is desperately waiting for you in hell by giving your life to Jesus now. Run for your life and embrace the Love of God today.

#BiblePromisesDeclaration

* Father, thank You for Your love for me, help me to appreciate this love by living my life for You. Help me not to disappoint in Jesus name

9 Right Ways to Take Risks

9 Right Ways to Take Risks

Risks are a part of life you can’t avoid, especially if you want to be successful. As a result, you have to learn the secrets of taking risks that will help you yield the best results. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 9 of these secrets to help you learn to take risks the right way.

Weigh the Risks and Benefits

Before taking risks, you have to ask yourself if the risk is worthwhile. You should consider and understand how much a risk taking ventures involves and its potential benefits. Always compare the possible consequences to the possible benefits of the risk to determine if the risk is worthwhile to you.

Be Realistic About What Could Go Wrong

You should remember that it is possible for your risk not to pay off and you should thus put the consequences in perspective. You should be sure you can deal with these consequences before moving forward with the risk.

Never Put Everything on the Line

This might seem counter-productive, but taking risks does not translate into recklessness. You have to be smart about it. Avoid over stretching yourself in the name of taking risks, and avoid putting all your time or cash into one venture, the odds of ruin are just too high. Always have a ‘safety net’ and a plan B for if the risk fails.

Always Have a Plan B and Even C

This can sincerely not be over-emphasized. You should always prepare for and think of a way out of or a way to deal with any negative consequence of your risks. Please do not take risks that end up leaving you trapped in unhealthy or inhumane situations. Always plan a way out or a way to deal with the consequences before-hand. It doesn’t have to be something so elaborate; it can be as simple as thinking of and having someone to go to if things go south.

Think For Yourself

You are the one taking the risk, it is therefore only appropriate that you learn to think for yourself and use your common sense to reach a conclusion before moving forward. You can listen to others advice and opinions or contributions, but ultimately the decision to take the risk should be yours and should be based on your judgement and assessment of all circumstances involved. If you feel you can’t trust your own judgement, seek the face of someone whose judgement you trust.

Take One Risk at Time

This goes without saying. You can go ‘big’ but don’t go ‘overboard’; this should be your rule for taking risks. Taking more than one risk at time is like being a woman who decides to wear bold makeup with bold jewelry, sky-high heels and a sequined shinny dress all at once. You’re going overboard and like the woman, you’re more likely to fail in risk taking.

Know Your Limits

Before taking risks, you should adhere to some personal guidelines. You should understand how much you are willing to tolerate and what will cause you to stop or back out completely from the venture. Adhering to safety standards that are comfortable for you, is what will keep you ‘alive’ during the ‘dangerous’ and ‘uncertain’ periods of your risk taking venture.

Remember that Risk Taking is Relative

Everyone has different tolerance to risk taking; you should therefore never compare your risk taking tolerance to that of another person. You can push yourself beyond your comfort zone, but never do so beyond what you can handle if things go wrong.

Be Positive

Once you’ve judged a risk as worthwhile, have planned a reasonable way to go about the risk taking venture and have prepared the appropriate safety net, try to be positive and picture everything going well. Positive thinking will help you build the confidence you need to go through the risk.

By Damilola Ojo
PR Associate Jumia Travel
+2348101556883