When it comes to money habits, certain traits seem normal to the average Nigerian. An exaggeration, yes but hear me out first. Many of us are guilty of these behaviours, mostly out of social conditioning. Sometimes I think many Nigerians mean well, but the paranoia that comes from our environment makes us want to avoid being cheated of our money. For some people though, it’s just an entitlement mentality. Either way, at some point in our lives, we have been one of these people at least once, and these things need to change; here are some of them.
People who don’t like to pay for stuff
They want everything free even if the product is feeding the employers literally. The saying ‘Awoof dey run bele’ which can be said to mean ‘not everything that glitters is gold’ in another sense or free stuff can turn out to be a scam, rings true. Most times, even if you got something for free, someone somewhere else is paying for it. Nothing is really truly free. You also find out that these kinds of people are the ones who never want to give out anything free. Weird huh.
People who over haggle with roadside sellers
Dragging the extra fifty naira when they are clearly at a point of privilege. This is the funniest thing to see sometimes, especially when the person in question is dressed in expensive clothing or driving a nice car. It is cringeworthy. Even if the car was borrowed and someone purchased the clothes for them, having someone to do that for them still puts them in a place of privilege compared to the roadside seller. Yes, money doesn’t grow on trees but that extra change you don’t want to let go is nothing to you and everything to the seller.
People who borrow with no clear plan to pay back
The absolute worst. I’m not sure this kind of people can be helped, but just in case no one has told you before, this behaviour is unacceptable. My advice to the lenders is not to give out any money you’re not able to let go off with peace of mind. If you know it will hurt you badly if you don’t see this money, you’re lending out again, then give a smaller amount instead. You must not be the lone Saviour of the borrower.
People who feel too proud to receive financial kindness from others
This is indeed an irony. Because for the most part our blessings come through humans and no man can do it all by him or herself. You may just be blocking the door to a new level in your life because of pride. Allowing yourself to receive doesn’t reduce your dignity or make you less of a person especially if you’re also a giver. There are blessings on both sides of the coin.
So, if you’ve read through and you feel a prick in your conscience, please be guided lol. If your heart is free but someone else comes to mind, you can innocently share on your page 🙂 they might just see it.