Most people think vacations are a luxury, but I do not agree with this line of thought! I will always advocate for taking a break once in while without of course breaking the bank and drinking Garri for months. It is however important to note that this may be easier to achieve before you have a significant other to think about or children (priorities would definitely change). Don’t forget YOLO!!

When thinking of a vacation, I think it’s necessary to always think about the following tips:

1. What is your budget? 
   To have a budget though, it’s advisable to have a savings or investment account where you casually ‘’throw’’ in that 5k you will spend on data or a movie, or that 10k for hair, or that 20k for drinks with the boys or girls and so on.
   These savings will reduce the pressure on your expenses when you eventually decide to travel.
2. Destination?
   Most people think of England or America or South Africa first when they hear vacation, but it’s important to note that there are other options available. For example, start from within if your budget is small. In Lagos, there is Atican beach resort, La Campaigne Tropicana, Inagbe Grand Resort. Outside Lagos, in Abeokuta just down the road, there’s Obasanjo’s library which is a beautiful place for a weekend trip! Bet you never thought of that right?
   So before choosing a place, look around first.
3. Find a travel buddy.
   I find travelling alone pretty boring, so if you have a friend you can cajole, that would be great and also easier on your pockets. E.g. you get to share the accommodation bills and the rest. You also wouldn’t have to beg strangers to take pictures of you, or you keep taking a million selfies rather than a clear full picture!
   
   
4. Plan ahead/do your research
   Hotel, feeding, transportation, security and shopping (if you have the money) are the necessary things to research and consider. After deciding where to go, it makes economic sense to find a hotel that has free breakfast etc., as this would save you some extra cash.Safety is also very important. Do your research to ensure it’s a tourist friendly environment. This could apply to the accommodation you choose as well. You don’t want to come back after a fun day and find out your luggage is missing or worse, your passport or something is gone (always make copies of important documents!)
5. Arrange for your visa where necessary
   Where this applies, find out the best way around getting the visa of the Country you’re planning to go, the finances you must have (as required by their Embassy) and the necessary documents. This could be a hassle, but if done properly, it can be pretty easy.
6. Find ticket/mode of transportation.
   If your destination is within Nigeria, this would obviously be cheaper than ‘’abroad’’ flight tickets. It’s important to start this search early enough before the prices start raising. The raise is typically during peak periods like summer (May- August) and Christmas period. You can easily find this on wakanow.com or travelstart.com or better still go to the airline directly.
   
   
7. Better carry your Panadol.
   As a Nigerian, better carry your Panadol, Flagyl and malaria medicine expect if you are planning to take a travel/medical insurance.
   
8. Alternatives
   If all these seems too long for you, you can find package deals instead wherein the flight, visa, accommodation, transportation is already arranged. Most people run away from deals like this because of scams, but there are legitimate companies that offer these services and contrary to popular beliefs, it is actually cost effective and they can easily hook you up with a travel buddy. You could try tambolloafrica.com for this.

Also learn to be patient! Things might not always go according to plan, but don’t stress it, it’s a vacation after all.
Once all these are done, pack your bags according to your destination of course and have fun!! Don’t forget to post pictures that will kill your enemies 🤣😉…

I’m sure the title of the blog excited you, probably triggered the unknown greed in you. Well wanting to get free money is not entirely greed, it is human nature to want more than we worked for.

Imagine if you get paid for sleeping, I mean who wouldn’t want that? As much as I would love to tell you something magical (like MMM), the only way I know to get free money is to invest free money.

So how do you invest this money?

Research on investment instruments such as fixed deposit (our forte), mutual funds, treasury bills and bonds. You literally don’t have to do anything, just be bold, smart and patient.

And yes, you get to make money while sleeping, you need not do anything for it. If, this isn’t free money, I don’t know what is.

The money you worked for should work for you, that’s your only revenge, so why not?

That loose cash can make you as much as 100k monthly, yup. Call us to find out how.

One of the hurdles of adulting is finding a place of your own, free from the unsolicited where-have-you-been concerns. Don’t get me wrong, accountability is a virtue, but sometimes you just need your space to make your decisions and mistakes if need be.

But this “freedom” doesn’t come cheap. It may be so expensive you have to resort to losing that freedom to a roommate, especially if you live in a city as Lagos.

So how do you split bills with a roommate, who is most likely a known friend, without losing the friendship? Here are a few tips:

Set some ground rules:

Agree from the onset what you pay separately and what you will share. Put it all into writing. No, it’s not being too formal, knowing your do’s and don’ts from the onset will save you from unnecessary fights and misunderstandings.

Don’t pay any shared bills until everyone contributes

There are times when you need to pay for something and your roommate doesn’t have the money for some reason at that particular time. Well unless you are willing to let go of the money or sacrifice the relationship, don’t give room for debt as human behaviour is unpredictable.

The better way is to agree on the amount to be contributed and the date needed on time.

If the money isn’t complete, don’t pay.

Keep some purchase separate

Imagine paying for furniture with your roommate and 6 months down the line, you need to move out, what happens? Split the chair maybe.

So, the idea is, there are some purchase you can’t split, especially furniture. You can split the bill for water, light or food.

Agree on the purchase you can and can’t split at the start of your roommate-ship.

Having a roommate is fun and cheap. The experience is even more exciting when you are first a good roommate and you chooses a good roommate.

They say that money cannot buy you happiness, and while that’s certainly true, a lack of money – or different attitudes to finance/money between a couple can certainly cause of a lot of harm to the relationship.  For certain reasons, money talks are almost a taboo to a lot of people in relationships, even when they discuss it, they find it difficult to be honest about each other’s financial situation and attitude towards money. They will rather talk about many other things like shopping, food, parties etc. except their finances.  Just because it makes you uncomfortable does not mean the conversation should not be had.

There is no better time than now to discuss finances with your partner, especially if you see yourselves building a future together. You’ll avoid so much potential conflict if you can be open about it from the start. So, here are a few tips to help get you on the right trail.

• Understand your own attitude to money
  This is something everyone should understand about themselves before they get into a relationship, but can be done at any point in your life. It is possible that you already understand your overall finances and spending pattern. While this is a good start, it is not enough, you need to be clear about your financial goals – both short and long-term – your attitude to risk and your day-to-day spending habits, can help build strong foundations for a healthy relationship.
  Understanding yourself makes it easier for you and your partner to plan and compromise on certain financial decisions.
• Be open but not overwhelming
  There has to be a balance between openness and intimidating your partner. Nobody’s finances are perfect, people make mistakes, some have overdue debts and bad credit records.  Nobody wants to be interrogated on their credit record in a relationship especially if it’s not good records (and beware anyone who does interrogate you) but you do want to encourage honesty.
  These conversations are to give you an insight into you and your partners financial compatibility and help you know how to compromise on certain things so your future together is blissful.
  
  
• Listen
  Listening is always at the heart of any good relationship – genuinely listening, so that your partner really feels that their opinions are being heard. Rather than getting angry when your partner doesn’t stick to plans, take the time to listen to why they didn’t.The same goes for money conflicts. If you’re keen to save for a house deposit but your partner wants to take a holiday, listen to their reasons. It could be that they feel you’ve been working so hard that they want some time out with you to reconnect. Remember, money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you a holiday, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
• Plan together
  Whether it’s paying down debt, increasing retirement contributions, or starting a side job to test out a career change, you can set out goals together and plan how you intend to achieve them.  These kind of conversation provideds a platform for togetherness and makes both parties open up about their finances.