Simple + Frugal = Sustainability.

Pleasant hearty greetings to you all.

As a student, I remember feeling thrilled when I first walked campus grounds. I felt on top of the world but soon, that “top of the world feeling”, turned into a pitfall feeling when I didn't receive my allowances as at when due from home.

At first, I thought that I would be able to manage by drinking garri (cassava flakes) but after only a few days, my stomach infrastructure protested— asking for good food.

It was then that it dawned on me that school life is different from home life and so, the process for adjustment commenced. I had to let go of and cut off certain things on my list.

The first thing I did was to scratch out eating at the school food vendors. This was because the foods sold there were very, very expensive. Students from wealthy homes were the only ones rushing towards the food vendors.

I would prefer to visit the local farmer's market and get food items at cheaper rates. Then I would prepare my food and take some with me to classes in a food flask. I also made sure to have an abundant supply of garri, sugar and groundnut because they are life savers from intense brokeness 😁.

I also began writing assignments for some close coursemates of mine who were too lazy to do their assignments and get paid for it. This was a cool way I used to make some cash.

I went for thrift clothes popularly referred to as “bend down and select” in a popular market in Lagos called “Yaba market”. There, one is guaranteed to find lovely and affordable dresses. I would buy these clothing's, wash and iron them. This enabled me to look good while in school but without spending much money on clothes.

I didn't have a savings or budget app like some students did. My diary was where I kept my little savings and even that was not enough till the end of the month but I was able to pull through and get by as I led my simple lifestyle in school.

I prioritized my urgent needs while I pushed back my wants until I had the money to purchase them. One key thing that also saved me financial stress and helped me be a good manager of my money was that I never compared myself to anyone nor did I cover what others had.

This in itself was a miracle for me because my school was full of rich kids who would come to class flaunting their new designer bags, jackets or shoes. They immediately garnered fake fans but I was never interested in them.

I was called “madam church” in school and so most of them didn't pay attention to me. I recall how a girl in our hall but not my room used up her second semester school fees that was sent to her by her parents to buy one dinner gown simply to attend a high class party hosted by a rich girl in school.

After the party, she struggled a lot with finances and earned the scorn of other girls who saw her as a “mugu”. She had to borrow money and also work part time jobs to get back her school fees so as not to be able to write her exams. It wasn't funny back then but she learnt her lesson and maintained a simple life instead of trying to belong.

Simplicity and frugality are necessities if finances will be managed as a student while in school.

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Thank you all for reading.

Images used are mine.

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