What Being Broke Really Means to Me

When people say they’re broke, I always find it interesting because it doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone. Some people call themselves broke when they don’t even have one naira left

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For others, it means they don’t have enough For me, being broke is not always about having nothing in my pocket, but more about when the little I have cannot meet my needs
Take for example, I might have 500 or even 1000 naira with me, but if I can’t use that money to buy food, pay for transport, or even buy basic things like soap or data, then I feel broke

At that point, the money in my pocket feels useless because it can’t solve what I need most.

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I remember a particular week when I had only 1000 Naira left and three days to survive
That was one of the hardest moments. I had to plan it carefully, telling myself

Don’t spend more than #200cedis a day
That meant sacrificing comfort. Some days,
I skipped lunch just so I could save my transport fare. On other days,
I walked long distances home because I didn’t want to finish everything in one go
Walking under the sun with an empty stomach was tough, and all I could think about was how different life feels when you’re broke.

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Another clear sign for me is when I start avoiding people. If my friends are going out and I know I can’t afford to join freely, I just stay indoors.
I hate the feeling of sitting at a table and only ordering water while everyone else is enjoying their food. That’s when I know I’m truly down financially.

The truth is, being broke doesn’t just hit your wallet, it also hits your emotions.
You start worrying, overthinking, and silently praying that someone remembers to pay you back what they owe.
Sometimes you even wish for a small miracle. It’s not about wanting luxury it’s about wanting the simple freedom to live without calculating every single cedi.

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