“It’s not always black and white, really. But what I always try to keep in mind is this: if I don’t plan how I send money for family charity, I’ll either end up bitter… or broke.” — Ope’s Diary
Every month, it’s the same thing.
You’ve just gotten paid, your rent is due, fuel price has jumped again, your plan is to finally breathe—
And then your cousin calls.
“Aunty swallowed a razor blade.”
Suddenly, your salary becomes community property.
It’s called Black Tax. And if you’re a Nigerian earning anything decent right now, you already know the script.
Nobody Told Us It Would Be This Hard
With the cost of living skyrocketing, even those with savings are stretched. You want to help, but you’re one emergency away from being the person asking for help.
And the sad part?
You saw this coming.
Or you should have.
Because Ope from Cowrywise has been shouting about this since 2022, through Ope’s collection of witty and wise financial stories, “Ope’s Money Diary: 21 Short Stories on How Money Works.”
“She Swallowed a Razor Blade?” — Ope Already Wrote This Chapter
In “Ope’s Money Diary,” there’s a story titled exactly that. It’s hilariously relatable… until you realize it’s your life.
Ope shares receiving a similarly ridiculous family message and, more importantly, how Ope learned to draw the line between supporting family and financial self-sabotage.
“Black tax has a silver lining… But if you’re unable to take care of your own needs because you’re too busy helping others, that’s a problem.” — Ope, from “Ope’s Money Diary”
The Problem Is Not Helping—It’s Not Planning
Black tax isn’t inherently evil. As Ope acknowledges, it’s often rooted in love, community, and shared survival.
But without structure, it will drain you dry.
Ope figured out a better way, a strategy detailed in Ope’s diary. Ope’s approach?
Ope explains, “I dedicate a percentage of my monthly income to family charity.” This isn’t a limitless fund. It’s a planned amount.
And how does Ope stick to it? “My locked savings plan on Cowrywise helps me with this,” Ope writes. “I know that if I take out of my own money dedicated for personal expenditure to do charity, I wouldn’t have anything else to fall back to. My savings are locked, and I can’t unlock them.”
This allows Ope to set boundaries. “So when my village people keep asking for money after I have already sent them all the money dedicated to family charity, I simply say no.”
It gives Ope peace and control, ensuring Ope doesn’t become “that bitter relative that does not send anything or be that angry Nigerian that has given all their money to black tax and now they don’t have anything else.” Ope’s guiding principle comes directly from the Cowrywise philosophy: “I follow the first word of Cowrywise’s motto: Plan.”
You Can Now Hear Ope’s Full Story in the Audiobook of “Ope’s Money Diary”
If you haven’t read “Ope’s Money Diary,” good news: You don’t have to sit and read anymore. It’s now an audiobook
You can now:
- Hear Ope break down real Nigerian financial pressures, like Black Tax.
- Learn practical ways to plan for family support without going broke, using strategies Ope personally applies.
- Laugh (and maybe cry a little) through your shared financial trauma. – On the go! In traffic, on your walks, or while cooking.
Before You Send That “Last 10k” This Month…
Pause.
Put on your earphones.
Listen to Ope.
Learn to plan for Black Tax before it plans for you.
Start the audiobook
Your bank account (and your sanity) will thank you.
