There are some lessons you either learn early or you learn them later with regrets, and saving money is one of them.
You know the feeling. I wish I had the money I wasted. Money spent on things that didn’t last, things that impressed people who don’t even matter anymore, moments that felt good for a day but expensive for years.
If you’re in your 20s or early 30s, listen carefully. You want to dress to impress, you want that nice bag, those Instagram-worthy pictures at nice restaurants. You wanted to look like you’re doing well in life.
But that pair of shoes that cost your entire savings? Not worth it. That new bag? Definitely not worth it either.
The lifestyle you’re trying to keep up with fades faster than the money you spent on it. And the regrets don’t come from not buying things; they come from realising what that money could have been used for.
It’s Salary Week. What Are You Going To Do Differently?
Your account just got credited. And right now, you’re at a decision point.
You could do what you always do, let it slip through your fingers on things that won’t matter next month. Or you could make this the moment everything changes.
This is the perfect time to $tart the year on the right ₦ote. Not next month. Not “when I earn more.” Right now, with this salary.
Because here’s the truth: if you don’t change your pattern now, you’ll be in the exact same place next year, wishing you had started today.
What’s Really Happening: Lifestyle Inflation
This is when your spending increases to match (or exceed) your income. You get a raise, and suddenly your expenses go up too. New salary, new lifestyle.
But here’s the real trap: many of us are inflating our lifestyle even when our income hasn’t increased. We’re spending money we don’t have to impress people who don’t care.
You know the signs:
- The ₦150,000 bag on a ₦80,000 salary
- New outfits for every weekend hangout because you can’t repeat on Instagram
- Always having the latest phone, even when the old one works fine
- Keeping up with the “soft life” when you’re barely making rent
- Attending every owambe with new aso-ebi you’ll wear once
You’re not building wealth. You’re building an image. And images don’t pay bills.
The Real Cost (What You’re Actually Losing)
Let’s talk numbers for a second.
The Money
Say you spend ₦50,000 every month on “looking good”, clothes, shoes, bags, expensive brunches, clubbing, the works. That’s ₦600,000 a year.
Now, what if you saved and invested that same ₦600,000 in Cowrywise instead?
Investment returns vary and aren’t guaranteed, but historically, diversified investments have delivered around 10-15% annually over the long term. Even at a conservative 10%, you’d have around ₦660,000 after one year. In five years? You could be looking at over ₦3.6 million, assuming consistent returns.
Of course, markets fluctuate, but over time, your money has the potential to grow significantly.
₦3.6 million (potentially more, potentially less) vs. a closet full of things you don’t wear.
Which would you rather have?
The Peace
It’s not just about the numbers. It’s about what you’re losing that money can’t even measure.
Savings means you have options in the future. It means you have peace. Saving means freedom when something unexpected happens.
Think about it:
- You can’t sleep at night because of debt
- You can’t say no to a toxic job because you have no savings buffer
- You can’t help your family in emergencies
- You can’t invest in that business idea that keeps you up at night
- You’re one unexpected expense away from financial disaster
That anxiety? That constant stress? That’s the real price of trying to look rich.
The Friendships
Here’s something nobody talks about: the people impressed by your lifestyle aren’t your real friends.
Those designer clothes didn’t buy you genuine relationships. The people who only stick around because you’re always “on” and spending money? They’ll disappear the moment you can’t keep up.
Real friends don’t care if you’re wearing the same jeans twice this week. Real friends care about you, not your shopping receipts.
Why It’s So Hard to Stop
Before we talk about solutions, let’s be real about why this is so difficult.
You’re not weak for struggling with this. You’re not stupid for making these choices. You’re human.
We all feel:
- The pressure to keep up (especially on social media, where everyone’s highlight reel looks perfect)
- The need to prove we’ve “made it” (to our families, our friends, ourselves)
- The instant high of a new purchase (that dopamine hit is real)
- The fear of being judged for not looking successful
The culture doesn’t help either. In Nigeria especially, there’s this expectation that success must be visible. If you’re doing well, people should see it.
The people who are actually building wealth? They’re not posting every purchase. They’re not upgrading their lifestyle every time they get a raise. They’re quietly saving, investing, and building real security while everyone else is trying to look the part.
Looking rich ≠ Being rich.
In fact, they’re usually opposites.
How to Break Free (Start Now)
If you’re in your 20s, your 30s, or even your 40s, it’s not too late. Regret doesn’t mean you failed; it means you learned. And the worst mistake isn’t wasting money before; it’s continuing to waste it after you know better.
So let’s talk about how to actually change this. Not with some perfect, aggressive savings plan you’ll abandon in two weeks. But with real, sustainable steps.
Step 1: Be Honest About Your Spending
First, you need to see the truth.
Go through your bank statements for the last three months. Be honest with yourself: How much went to “looking good” versus actual needs?
Write the number down. Look at it.
That number is your starting point. That’s how much you’ve been choosing appearances over peace.
Step 2: Redefine What Success Looks Like
Here’s what they don’t tell you: Success isn’t about how good you look. It’s about how you feel.
Real success is:
- Waking up without financial anxiety
- Having options when opportunities arise
- Being able to help your family without stress
- Building something that lasts beyond next month’s Instagram post
- Feeling secure, not just looking successful
Future you doesn’t care about how good you looked before. Future you cares about how safe, calm, and free you are.
Step 3: Start Saving, Not Perfectly, Just Consistently
The best time to start is when you have money in your account. And if you just got paid? This is your moment. Start now. Not perfectly, not aggressively, not every Kobo you have. But start saving consistently.
Pay yourself first. Save before you’re tempted to spend it.
Then? Live on what’s left.
Not the other way around.
$tart the Year on the Right ₦ote
It’s salary week. Your account is credited. And you have a choice to make.
You can let this money disappear like all the others, spent on temporary things, gone by mid-month, leaving you stressed and broke again. Or you can make this the salary that changes everything.
Don’t wait. Don’t overthink it. Don’t tell yourself “next month.”
$tart the year on the right ₦ote. Your future self is counting on you
