Is the Cost of Living Crippling The Living?

Every month, I budget my expenses before my salary drops. The most constant part is feeding and I already have a curated list of what to get each month, which are almost the same things by the way. But as each month goes by, I realise that I add a tiny extra amount to the previous. If I spent 20 thousand Naira last month, I’d definitely spend 21 or 22 thousand Naira this month. I was not bothered because, well, isn’t it just 1 or 2k? I’d put that under miscellaneous.

But it’s been a different upsetting story in the past four months or so. Inflation has now shattered my budget. Miscellaneous is now inside the main budget and there’s no money left for extra. And this is how it seems now: I am working but the money is no longer sufficient. Inflation and the Naira devaluation/falling are making living a struggle. I cannot live within my means again because what exactly is means? Even breathing don cost.

It seems this period is now affecting my imagination, because why do I wake up every day with wild imaginations? For instance, yesterday, I dreamt that the real life we’re currently living is all a dream and the one in the dream was real life. It better be true. Today, I woke with this conversation between two friends playing in my head:

Didi: How many people I don call wey this airtime don finish? Omo.

Didi: How far, Tayo?

Tayo: I dey jare. What’s up?

Didi: Abeg, you fit come on WhatsApp. I want to rant.

Tayo: I dey online naw.

Didi: Okay, I will call you now.

Tayo: Ehn ehn, how far? I can hear you.

Didi: Guy, you no fit believe wetin happen today. You know we went to price the cooking sets together, bah? Guess what happened today?

Tayo: What?

Didi: They doubled the price. I went to the first and second shops, the price was even higher. Wetin dey happen like this?

Tayo: Sheybi I told you to buy it then. You dey talk say you no get money.

Didi: Guy, e dey piss me off. You know that’s what happened with the AC too.

Tayo: Wait o, you didn’t buy it then?

Didi: I didn’t. Guy, I no come understand again o.

Tayo: I told you na. See ehn, anything wey you wan buy now, if you have the money, just buy it. Because you fit wake up tomorrow make dem don times two the price. I am blaming myself for not buying my phone last month.

Didi: Omo. Everybody is just lying against the dollar.

Tayo: They are not really lying na. It’s just that when the dollar depreciates, they won’t reduce the increased prices. I don tire.

Didi: E come be like say person no dey work. I can’t even afford ordinary necessities.

Tayo: We dey work na. But inflation is working its way into our money.

Didi: Bro, my salary finished a week before it entered.

Tayo:  I’ve spent my next month’s salary, man. See guy, my birthday na next month. I will buy the cake this month and put am for fridge. I fit get there tomorrow make the baker increase the price.

Didi: The pot price dey pain me. If you see how I frowned and sent the money, the seller sef feel am.

Tayo: You should have bought it then.

Didi: Now my budget is messed up.

Tayo: You still dey get budget in this economy? 

Didi: Omo. Is this really how we are going to continue? It’s even becoming difficult to afford agbado, man.

Tayo: See me I want to go and watch ball jare.

Didi: Where are you going? You can’t watch it inside?

Tayo: I no get sub for my decoder.

Didi: I understand, my guy. I will stream it on my laptop.

Tayo: Oshey, big man. You get money for data na.

Didi: What will I now do? Anyway, enjoy your weekend.

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Featured Image by Shvets Production