Have you ever wondered why money enters your account and disappears before the month ends? For many Nigerians, being broke is not always a result of laziness or careless decisions.
Rising inflation, unemployment, low salaries, rent, transport, food prices, family responsibilities, and unexpected emergencies can make it difficult to stay financially stable. These pressures often force people to focus on surviving today rather than planning for tomorrow.
However, some everyday purchases can quietly make financial struggles worse. Small expenses such as frequent snacks, unnecessary subscriptions, betting, expensive fashion, and buying things to impress others may not seem serious at first.
But when they happen repeatedly without a budget, they can consume money that could have gone into savings, debt repayment, business capital, education, or investment.
This article explores common spending habits that can keep people financially stuck and how to make smarter choices.
Expensive Smartphones Bought for Status
A smartphone can be useful for communication, work, learning, online business, and staying connected with customers. However, buying an expensive phone mainly to impress people can create financial pressure.
Some people borrow money, use installment payments, or spend most of their salary on a phone they cannot comfortably afford.
Looking successful online is not worth entering debt or struggling to pay for food, rent, transport, and other important needs. Before buying a phone, consider whether it will genuinely improve your work, business, or daily life.
Unnecessary Designer Clothing and Fashion Items
Looking neat and presentable is important, but constantly buying expensive clothes, shoes, wigs, watches, bags, and accessories can drain a small income.
Many people feel pressured to wear new outfits for every event, party, church program, wedding, birthday, or social media post. This habit can make it difficult to save money or invest in something more useful.
It is better to buy quality items you can afford, take proper care of them, and repeat your clothes confidently. Financial progress matters more than trying to impress people who may not even care about your struggles.
Frequent Food Delivery, Eating Out, and Daily Snacks
Buying food outside every day may seem convenient, especially for busy workers, students, and business owners. However, regular spending on shawarma, soft drinks, meat pie, suya, noodles, restaurant meals, and food delivery can take thousands of naira from your income each month.
A small purchase of ₦1,000 or ₦2,000 may not feel serious at the time, but repeated daily spending adds up quickly. Cooking simple meals at home, carrying food to work, and planning your weekly food budget can help you reduce unnecessary expenses and create room for savings.
Alcohol, Betting, and Excessive Entertainment
Entertainment is not bad, and everyone deserves time to relax. The problem begins when spending on alcohol, clubbing, betting tickets, parties, and weekend enjoyment becomes more important than rent, school fees, transport, electricity, food, or debt repayment.
Some people spend money hoping to win big through betting, but repeated losses can make an already difficult financial situation worse. Enjoyment should fit into a realistic budget. It should never take money meant for important responsibilities or future goals.
Buying Items on Credit Without a Repayment Plan
Credit can be useful when it helps someone solve an urgent problem or invest in something that can produce income. However, buying clothes, phones, furniture, electronics, or household items on credit without a clear repayment plan can lead to stress and debt.
This is known as lifestyle debt because the money is used for things that may not bring any financial return.
Productive debt, on the other hand, is used for something that can increase income, such as business stock, equipment, or a skill that improves earning potential. Before buying anything on credit, ask whether you can repay it comfortably.
Unused Subscriptions and Excessive Data Spending
Many people spend money every month on streaming platforms, gaming subscriptions, premium apps, music services, and large data bundles without checking whether they truly use them.
One subscription may look affordable, but several subscriptions together can become a serious monthly expense.
Data is important for work, learning, communication, and online business, but wasting data on endless scrolling, unnecessary downloads, and entertainment can affect a tight budget. Reviewing subscriptions regularly and cancelling services you do not use can free up money for savings or more important needs.
Expensive Ceremonies and Social Obligations
Weddings, birthdays, burials, naming ceremonies, church events, uniforms, aso ebi, gifts, and contributions are part of life in Nigeria. Celebrating with family and friends is important, but spending beyond your means to impress people can create serious financial stress.
Some people borrow money or use rent money just to buy expensive clothes, contribute to events, or organize a celebration that is too costly.
It is possible to show love and support without damaging your finances. Set a budget for social events and learn to say no when an expense is beyond what you can afford.
Buying Cheap Items Repeatedly Instead of Durable Items
Cheap items can appear attractive because they cost less at the beginning. However, buying low-quality shoes, chargers, bags, clothing, kitchen tools, or electronics repeatedly can cost more in the long run.
If an item spoils quickly and must be replaced every few weeks or months, the total amount spent may be higher than buying one durable item.
This does not mean you should buy the most expensive product available. It means you should compare quality, durability, reviews, and long-term value before spending your money.
Impulse Buying and Online Shopping
Social media advertisements, flash sales, WhatsApp vendors, TikTok trends, and peer pressure make it easy to buy things that were never planned. A person may see a product online and feel the need to buy it immediately, even when it is not necessary.
Impulse buying can quietly destroy a budget because the money was not set aside for that purchase.
Before buying a non-essential item, wait for at least 24 hours and ask yourself: Do I really need this? Can I afford it without borrowing? Will this item still matter to me next month? This simple habit can help you make better financial decisions.
Understand the Difference Between Needs, Wants, and Investments
One of the easiest ways to make better money decisions is to understand the difference between needs, wants, and investments. A need is something important for survival, health, work, or daily living.
Examples include food, basic housing, transport, medical care, electricity, and essential clothing. These are expenses that should come first when planning a budget.
A want is something you may enjoy but can live without, especially when money is tight. Luxury clothes, expensive outings, the latest phone, frequent food delivery, costly parties, and items bought mainly to impress people are examples of wants.
Wants are not always bad, but they should not take money meant for rent, food, savings, debt repayment, or business needs.
An investment is money spent on something that can improve your future financial situation.
It may help you earn more income, learn a valuable skill, reduce future expenses, or grow a business. Before spending money, ask yourself whether the item is a need, a want, or an investment. This simple question can help you make smarter choices.
What to Buy Instead of Things That Keep You Broke
Reducing wasteful spending does not mean you should stop spending money completely. The goal is to redirect your money towards things that can improve your life and financial future. Instead of spending heavily on things that lose value quickly, consider buying items that can help you earn, save, or grow.
You can invest in learning materials, books, online courses, data for skill development, or training that can improve your earning ability.
A small business tool, work equipment, phone accessories for resale, cooking equipment, a sewing machine, a laptop, or stock for a side business may be more useful than buying expensive fashion items or entertainment every weekend.
You can also direct some money into a savings plan, emergency fund, or affordable insurance where available. Saving even a small amount regularly can help you handle unexpected expenses without borrowing.
The aim is not to deny yourself every enjoyment, but to spend more intentionally and choose purchases that move you closer to financial stability.
Spend With Purpose and Build a Better Financial Future
Financial improvement does not happen because a person stops spending money completely. It happens when they learn to spend with purpose.
Every naira should have a job, whether it is for food, rent, transport, savings, debt repayment, business growth, education, or an important personal need. The goal is not to live without enjoyment, but to avoid spending money in ways that keep you financially stuck.
A person earning a small income may not be able to save a large amount immediately, especially with the rising cost of living and daily responsibilities.
However, reducing wasteful spending can create room for progress. The money spent on unnecessary purchases, expensive outings, betting, impulse shopping, or items bought to impress others can gradually become savings, emergency funds, business capital, or money for learning a valuable skill.
Start by reviewing your spending from the last seven days. Identify one expense you can reduce, stop, or replace with a smarter option. Small changes may not transform your finances overnight, but consistent decisions can help you build a more stable and better financial future.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Poor People Often Spend the Most Money On?
People with low incomes do not usually spend money carelessly because they want to remain poor.
Many are forced to spend a larger percentage of their income on urgent daily needs because they do not have enough money to buy in bulk, plan ahead, or handle emergencies comfortably.
Food is often one of the biggest expenses, especially when a person buys meals outside every day, purchases small quantities from nearby shops, or has a large family to support. Buying food in small portions may look cheaper at the moment, but it can cost more over time than buying larger quantities when possible.
Transport is another major expense. In places where people travel long distances to work, school, markets, or business locations, daily transport can consume a serious part of income.
Fuel costs, public transport fares, vehicle repairs, and ride-hailing expenses can make it difficult to save. Rent, electricity, water, mobile data, and airtime also take a large share of money because they are essential for survival and work.
Some people also spend heavily on debt repayment. Borrowing for food, rent, school fees, medical treatment, or business capital can create a cycle where income arrives and quickly disappears into repayments. Unexpected expenses, such as hospital bills, family emergencies, ceremonies, and repairs, can also drain limited income.
The important lesson is not to blame people for being poor. Financial pressure often makes every decision urgent. The best way to improve the situation is to track spending, reduce avoidable costs where possible, separate needs from wants, build a small emergency fund, and find ways to increase income gradually.
What Is the Best Thing to Give to Poor People?
The best thing to give a person experiencing poverty depends on what they urgently need and what can help them become more stable over time.
Cash can be very helpful because it gives the person freedom to decide whether food, rent, transport, medicine, school fees, or debt is the most pressing need. However, cash works best when it is given respectfully, without control, shame, or public attention.
Food items can also be valuable, especially for families struggling to eat regularly. Basic items such as rice, beans, garri, cooking oil, noodles, bread, vegetables, and baby food can reduce immediate pressure.
For someone who is sick or elderly, medicine, hospital support, clothing, bedding, or help with transport may be more useful than general gifts.
Long-term support can be even more powerful. Helping someone learn a skill, pay for vocational training, buy tools for work, start a small business, or get equipment such as a sewing machine, hairdressing tools, a phone for online work, or cooking materials can create an income opportunity. Education support for children can also change a family’s future.
Respect is equally important. Poor people do not only need material help; they need to be treated as human beings with dignity.
Avoid making them feel like a burden or using their situation for social-media content. Ask simple questions about what would help most, listen carefully, and give what you can honestly afford.
The best gift is one that solves a real problem today while also giving the person more strength, opportunity, and hope for tomorrow.
Ten Things Money Cannot Buy?
Money is useful because it can pay for food, housing, education, healthcare, travel, comfort, and many opportunities. However, it cannot purchase every important thing in life. A wealthy person may have expensive possessions and still lack peace, meaningful relationships, or a sense of purpose.
Love cannot be bought. Someone may be attracted to wealth, gifts, or status, but genuine love is built through care, loyalty, honesty, and shared values.
Money can pay for a wedding, but it cannot guarantee a happy marriage. Trust is another thing money cannot buy. Once trust is damaged through lies, betrayal, or repeated disappointment, expensive gifts may not repair it.
Good health cannot be fully bought either. Money can provide better treatment, nutritious food, fitness support, and access to hospitals, but it cannot guarantee a healthy body or prevent every illness.
Time is also priceless. A person can earn more money, but they cannot buy back years wasted, missed moments with loved ones, or time lost through poor decisions.
Money cannot buy real happiness, inner peace, wisdom, self-respect, or a clear conscience. It can make life easier, but happiness often comes from gratitude, purpose, good relationships, and personal growth.
Respect cannot be forced with money; people may obey a wealthy person, but genuine respect comes from character and how they treat others.
Other priceless things include forgiveness, true friendship, talent, courage, and a meaningful legacy. Money can support these things, but it cannot create them by itself. A balanced life requires both financial stability and strong values.
Things People Commonly Waste Money On?
Many people waste money not through one large mistake, but through small repeated spending that feels harmless at the time. Unplanned food purchases are common.
Buying snacks, soft drinks, fast food, and meals outside every day can quietly consume a large part of a monthly budget. Convenience is useful sometimes, but frequent spending without a plan can make saving difficult.
Subscriptions are another hidden expense. People may pay for streaming services, apps, gaming packages, music platforms, cloud storage, or memberships they barely use.
Small automatic payments can continue for months because the person forgets to cancel them. Excessive airtime and mobile data spending can also become wasteful when it is mainly used for endless scrolling, gambling-related content, or activities that do not add value.
Impulse shopping is a major problem. This includes buying clothes, shoes, gadgets, cosmetics, household items, or online deals simply because they are discounted or trending.
A discount does not save money if the item was never needed. People also waste money by upgrading phones, televisions, furniture, or cars mainly to impress others.
Borrowing for luxury spending can be especially damaging. Taking loans for parties, expensive fashion, unnecessary travel, or status symbols creates financial pressure long after the excitement has passed. Late fees, penalties, and interest can make the original purchase much more expensive.
Other common money leaks include alcohol, betting, unused gym memberships, avoidable bank charges, frequent transport due to poor planning, and buying items in tiny quantities when bulk buying is possible.
The solution is not to remove every enjoyment from life. It is to spend intentionally, set limits, and make sure money supports important goals rather than short-term pressure.
What to Gift When You Do Not Have Money?
A meaningful gift does not always need money. Time, effort, kindness, and creativity can make someone feel valued, especially when the gift is personal.
You can write a heartfelt letter explaining what the person means to you, recalling good memories, and wishing them well. A sincere message can become something they keep for years.
You can also create a handmade card, poem, short story, prayer note, playlist, photo collage, or digital design using free tools on your phone.
If you are good at writing, drawing, cooking, singing, editing videos, fixing things, teaching, or organizing, you can use that skill as a gift. For example, you could help someone prepare a CV, clean their space, teach them a useful skill, assist with a project, or help them study for an exam.
Acts of service are valuable gifts. You can offer to run an errand, babysit, help with housework, support a friend during a difficult time, or spend quality time with someone who feels lonely.
For a partner, a thoughtful message, a handmade memory book, a list of reasons you appreciate them, or a planned walk and conversation can feel more special than an expensive item.
A gift without money should still show attention. Think about what the person likes, what they are going through, and what would make their day easier or happier. The value is not in the price; it is in the care behind it.